Lagos Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, has revealed that the state has recording instances of residents treating themselves for malaria only for them to realise after testing that it is COVID-19.
This comes on the heels of assertion by Medical experts that getting tested is the best way to distinguish malaria from COVID-19.
“We are seeing too many cases of people treating themselves for malaria multiple times and only realise it’s COVID-19 after testing.”
The commissioner said sometimes, such people realised the error “too late” and sometimes “show up too sick.”
“The symptoms are similar, but they are not the same. If you suspect malaria, please go for a COVID-19 test,” Abayomi counselled.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control had earlier said though COVID-19 presents symptoms similar to malaria such as fever, both diseases are caused by different organisms and differ in mode of transmission.
NCDC, however, warned Nigerians against mistaking COVID-19 and malaria for the same infection.
