Background Thyrotoxicosis is a common endocrine disorder. The clinical presentation is variable, and it is often misdiagnosed or diagnosed late in Africa. This study was aimed at collating and analyzing the clinical characteristics of the disease across the continent so as to enhance correct and timely diagnosis. Methods The study is a systematic review with a meta-analysis. Studies, done in Africa, which documented the clinical features of thyrotoxicosis were selected. African Journal Online (AJOL), PubMed, SCOPUS and Google Scholar, Research Square, SciELO, and medRxiv were systematically searched using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Heterogeneity was determined using I2 statistic and Cochran’s Q test. LFK index and the symmetry of the Doi plot were used to assess publication bias. Results The eligible studies were 59 and the total sample size was 9592. The most common symptoms of thyrotoxicosis on the continent included palpitations (69%), weight loss (65%), heat intolerance (64%), tiredness (49%), increased appetite (49%), hyperhidrosis (48%), and insomnia (47%). The most common signs were thyromegaly (88%), tachycardia (67%), sweaty palms (54%), hand tremor (49%), and exophthalmos (49%). Atrial fibrillation, heart failure, and thyrotoxic heart disease were found in 9, 12, and 22% respectively. Other findings were hypertension (25%) and diabetes (9%). Conclusion Clinical presentation of thyrotoxicosis varies, and understanding these peculiarities would mitigate misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis in Africa.

Objectives We assessed Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of COVID-19 as an indicator to situate the performance of Nigeria relative to other selected countries. We obtained case fatality rates of different countries from data sets available from open-sources. The CFRs were calculated as the rate of deaths compared with total cases. The values were compared with Nigeria’s COVID-19 CFR. Other relevant statistical comparisons were also conducted. Results The worst performing countries with regards to CFR in descending order were Yemen (19.5%), Peru (9.0%) Mexico (7.6%), Sudan (7.4%) and Ecuador (6.3%) while the best performing nations were Bhutan (0.11%), Burundi (0.19%), Iceland (0.20%), Laos (0.21%) and Qatar (0.25%). The CFR of Nigeria was 1.39% which falls below the 50th percentile. Other comparison done showed significant difference in the CFR values between countries similar to Nigeria and countries that are dissimilar when HDI is used. (Mann–Whitney U test 126.0, p = 0.01). The trend of the CFR in Nigeria showed a steady decline and flattening of the CFR curve which does not seem to be affected by the spikes in the daily declared cases.

No abstract

Objectives. We assessed Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of COVID-19 as an indicator to situate the performance of Nigeria relative to other selected countries. From the available open-source datasets, we derived the case fatality rates of the different countries of interest for comparison. The CFRs were calculated as the rate of deaths compared with total cases. The values were compared with the Nigeria’s COVID-19 CFR. Other relevant statistical comparisons were also conducted. Results: The worst performing countries with regards to CFR in descending order were Yemen (19.5%), Peru (9.0%) Mexico (7.6%), Sudan (7.4%) and Ecuador (6.3%) while the best performing nations were Bhutan (0.11%), Burundi (0.19%), Iceland (0.20%), Laos (0.21%) and Qatar (0.25%). The CFR of Nigeria was 1.39%% which falls below the 50th percentile. Other comparison done showed significant difference in the CFR values between countries similar to Nigeria and countries that are dissimilar when HDI is used. (Mann-Whitney U test 126.0, p = 0.01). The trend of the CFR in Nigeria showed a steady decline and flattening of the CFR curve which does not seem to be affected by the spikes in the daily declared cases.

Background: Healthcare workers have a higher risk of SARS CoV2 infection with implications for transmission of infection and the safety of workers and patients. Objective: To assess knowledge on COVID-19 and the safety practices among selected healthcare workers in southwest Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 210 workers providing direct care to patients during the COVID-19 pandemic was conducted. Respondents were recruited through simple random sampling of members of online platforms of healthcare workers in Osun, Ondo and Ekiti States. Information on sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge of PPE and safety practices was obtained through a close-ended questionnaire. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 36.5±7.5 years. About 29% and 30% of respondents were from the State and Federal Government-owned Teaching Hospitals, respectively. A little above half (58.1%) had good knowledge of COVID-19, while 62.1% used PPE always when attending to suspected COVID19 cases. More than half (53.8%) had been trained on infection prevention and control (IPC), but only 34.3% adhered to good safety practices. Healthcare workers in State government-owned teaching hospitals had lower odds of good safety practices than those in Federal Teaching Hospitals (OR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.19-0.93, p = 0.031). Conclusion: The knowledge of appropriate PPE and practice of safety precautions among healthcare workers is sub-optimal. This may predispose to increased COVID-19 transmission among healthcare workers, patients, and their families. Training and retraining healthcare workers, especially those from hospitals identified by the study as having poor safety practices, should be encouraged.