02 Feb

The number of Nigerian healthcare workers infected with COVID-19 was becoming "worrisome," as 75 were confirmed positive in the past week, health authorities said Monday.

More efforts have been put into better protecting healthcare workers, Chikwe Ihekweazu, director-general of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) told a news conference.

Ihekweazu said the NCDC would roll out rapid diagnostic test kits in more health facilities over the next month as an additional form of protection.

He advised healthcare personnel to keep highly cautious about the virus and suspect every case they meet.

So far, there has been no national tally of infected healthcare workers in the most populous African country since its COVID-19 outbreak.

The Nigerian Medical Association said last Saturday that at least 20 doctors lost their lives to the virus within a week in December.

xinhua