SARS-CoV-2 variants-associated outbreaks of COVID-19 in a tertiary institution, North-Central Nigeria: Implications for epidemic control.

The COVID-19 global pandemic is being driven by evolving SARS-CoV-2 variants with consequential implications on virus transmissibility, host immunity, and disease severity. Continuous molecular and genomic surveillance of the SARS-CoV-2 variants is therefore necessary for public health interventions toward the management of the pandemic. This study is a retrospective analysis of COVID-19 cases reported in a Nigerian tertiary institution from July to December 2021.

Reference equations for spirometric indices from a sample of the general adult population in Nigeria.

Background: The increasing importance of pulmonary function testing in diagnosing and managing lung diseases and assessing improvement has necessitated the need for locally derived reference equations from a sample of the general Nigerian population.

Methods: It was a cross sectional study in which we used linear regression models to obtain equations for reference values and lower limits of normal for spirometric indices in adult Nigerians from a sample of the general population aged 18-65 years (males) and 18-63 years (females).

Results: Seven hundred and twenty participants made up of 358 males and 362 females who satisfactorily completed the spirometric measurements using the ATS/ERS reproducibility and acceptability criteria were included in the analysis.

An assessment of essential maternal health services in Kwara State, Nigeria.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the levels of emergency obstetrics care (EOC) signal functions in health facilities in a developing setting with high maternal morbidity and mortality indices and to determine if there are differences between public and private health facilities in terms of availability of these signal functions. A survey of health facilities was carried out in six of the 16 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Kwara State Nigeria. All health facilities in these LGAs including public and private health facilities offering some services to pregnant women were surveyed using an interviewer- administered, facility-assessment questionnaire adapted from the WHO/UNFPA/UNICEF international guidelines for monitoring the availability and use of obstetric services.

Amulets, Bands and Other Traditional Applications seen among Emergency and Neonatal Pediatric Admissions in a Tertiary Centre, Nigeria.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the types and indications of amulets, bands and traditional applications among pediatric emergencies and neonatal admissions into the Federal Medical Centre, Bida, Nigeria.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted between January and July, 2008. Children admitted into the emergency and neonatal units of the institution with traditional applications were recruited.

The prevalence of hearing loss among schoolchildren with chronic suppurative otitis media in Nigeria, and its effect on academic performance.

We conducted a cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of hearing loss among 1,500 Nigerian schoolchildren aged 9 to 15 years who had chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM). We also attempted to ascertain the effect that this hearing loss had on their academic performance. The study population was drawn from three schools in different socioeconomic tiers-low (n = 300), medium (n = 400), and high (n = 800).