Akwa Ibom, NCDC Disagree over COVID-19 Test Results

Matilda Omonaiye/

Citing irregularities in the testing process, the Akwa Ibom State government has rejected the five positive COVID-19 results announced by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) yesterday night.

In a statement today disputing NCDC tally, the state government asked the agency to conduct a fresh round of tests for the five suspected cases.

It noted that all the fives cases reported to have tested positive for COVID-19 were yet to show any symptom of the virus.

The government also alleged that the NCDC Director-General, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, was not aware of the results before the announcement.

Ihekweazu has however faulted the claims of the Akwa Ibom State government.

Speaking during the daily press briefing by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Ihekweazu said the tests in dispute were done in the best laboratories in the country.

The NCDC boss stated, “I just read the press release of the Commissioner for Health in Akwa Ibom State, and I think it’s a little bit unfortunate because there was some delay in reporting the results to him because the team that lead the lab where these tests were done, were actually on their way to Abuja to carry out an important national assignment.

“These tests were done in the Irrua specialist Teaching Hospital. This is our oldest and most experienced lab in carrying out PCR diagnosis.

“So, there is really no reason to dispute the validity of these results.

“We must focus on the challenge at our hands; every new case in a new state always leads to a little bit of anxiety and people need time to accept these results and what they are.

“But they are what they are and I have no reason to doubt the results coming out from any of our labs, especially the Irrua specialist Teaching Hospital.

“After every positive case, we will retest anyway, after 3-4 days because the only way you can know whether people are recovering or not is by retesting them. So, that will be done.”

“I think now, and like I have seen over and over, this is not the time to dispute and doubt especially within government, but to come together.

“It is not the time to release press statements against other government bodies, but it is a time to come together. So, this is really my appeal to every state. There is no reason why anyone would give results without verifying.

“We are working very hard to make sure that these results are correct; sometimes, we delay in releasing these results, and we get a lot of complains of why the results are taking so long. It is because the tests are being repeated so that we can be very sure.

“But if there is one lab in Nigeria that I can almost be 100 percent sure on the validity of their test, of course they can always be mistake but to have mistaken in 5 results in a lab like Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, will be very unlikely.

“I would like to call on everyone in all the state in the country to have confidence in what we are doing. Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital is not an NCDC-owned lab, but one that we support to make sure that the testing is done appropriately,” he added.

The statement of the state government reads, “We observed a disturbing breach in the test and reporting procedure. Akwa Ibom State Government only heard about the test results in the news

“The Director-General of NCDC was not aware of the reported result announcement.

“All five reported positive test cases have been contacted and they have shown no COVID-19 symptoms.

“While the tests were being processed in NCDC-approved test facilities, all suspected cases were held in isolation.

“Several sample batches have been previously sent for testing from Akwa Ibom State and they all returned negative results.

“Owing to the irregularities observed in the testing and reporting procedure, Health Care Professionals in Akwa Ibom State have called for an immediate reconfirmation test on the five reported cases.”

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