The use of oxygen by COVID-19 patients in isolation centres across Lagos is on the increase this January, Akin Abayomi, the Commissioner for Health, has said.
Mr Abayomi, a Professor of Medicine, disclosed this via his official Twitter handle Friday while urging residents to comply with COVID-19 safety protocols.
“Oxygen usage is on the increase. By 1st week of January 2021 daily rationed usage of oxygen was 200 cylinders. Realistic projection without rationing is about 750 cylinders per day.
“There is an increasing number of patients who require oxygen therapy at IDH, Yaba.
“The initial projections for oxygen usage in IDH was 70 cylinders per day. Over 71% increases in oxygen usage in IDH. Given the increases in cases, oxygen usage is expected to be high,” he said.
Mr Abayomi urged residents to keep safe from the COVID-19 infection as the new strain ravaging the state and country at large is deadlier than the previous variant.
🔥Oxygen usage is on the increase.
🔥By 1st week of January 2021 daily rationed usage of oxygen was 200 cylinders.
🔥Realistic projection without rationing is about 750 cylinders per day. pic.twitter.com/D3IE01rdwY
— Prof. Akin Abayomi (@ProfAkinAbayomi) January 15, 2021
Speaking on the occupancy of isolation centres in the state, the Commissioner said isolation centres are 60 per cent filled up.
“Starting from the month of December, there was a rapid increase in the bed occupancy at the COVID-19 isolation and treatment centres.
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Mr Abayomi said out of the 498 total bed capacity in the state, only 177 spaces are vacant as of January 13.
The Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) is 95 per cent filled up, while the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) isolation centre is 75 per cent filled up.
The Commissioner added that other private facilities accredited for COVID-19 treatment are filling up rapidly.
On Friday, Lagos had 713 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection out of the 1,867 recorded across the country. The state remains the epicentre of coronavirus in Nigeria, with nearly 40,000 confirmed cases and more than 200 deaths.
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