The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffery Onyeama, has said COVID-19 is not a death sentence.
Onyeama made the remark while urging those infected not to be ashamed of stigmatization, NAN reports.
Speaking during the daily briefing of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 in Abuja, the minister stressed that anybody could contract the virus.
Recall that Onyeama was confirmed COVID-19 positive on July 19 after his fourth COVID-19 test.
He, however, recovered and tested negative to the virus after three weeks.
Speaking on his survival, Onyeama said medication should be recommended to infected persons sooner.
He said: “I have to say that one of the things I was thinking about is that the PTF is like a military high command.
“Maybe it was a good thing that a member of the team can now speak from experience and not just from hearing. COVID-19 is real. I used to have three layers of protection but it did not stop that.
“I will like to say that the issue of stigmatisation is nothing to be ashamed of. Anybody can get this virus and it is nothing to fear. It is not a death sentence.
“I was discussing with the Minister of Health that if people cannot be tested sooner enough, they can recommend some medication. Don’t feel it is anything shameful. Just treat it like any other sickness.”
Onyeama also commended the medical team who attended to him when he was down with the virus.
Meanwhile, Nigeria currently has over 48, 000 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
This followed confirmation of 373 new COVID-19 cases as at Thursday night.
This latest figure was disclosed in statistics from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC.
