WhatsApp to switch off messages for all who reject new terms

WhatsApp users who do not accept its updated terms and conditions by the 15 May deadline will be unable to receive or send messages until they do so.

Their account will be listed as "inactive". And inactive accounts can be deleted after 120 days.

Calls and notifications will still function for "a short while" but, TechCrunch reported, probably only a "few weeks".

WhatsApp announced the update in January. There was a backlash among many users who thought it meant the company was planning to change the amount of data it shared with its parent company, Facebook. It later clarified this was not the case - the update is actually aimed at enabling payments to be made to businesses.

Notifying users

WhatsApp already shares some information with Facebook, such as the user's IP address (a sequence of numbers attached to every device which connects to the internet, it can also be used to pin down its location) and purchases made via the platform.

But this is not the case in Europe and the UK, where different privacy laws exist. Following the initial announcement, platforms such as Telegram and Signal saw a huge surge in demand as WhatsApp users sought alternative encrypted-messaging services.

WhatsApp delayed the initial rollout and has now changed the way it is notifying users of the changes.

Culled from BBC news

Covid infection in Lagos 'may top Africa's official total'

A Covid-19 antibodies survey in Nigeria suggests that four million people in Lagos state alone have had the virus - more than has been officially recorded for the whole of Africa.

The official figure for Nigeria is 153,000 cases with 1,862 deaths.

The study was done on 10,000 people from four Nigerian states to estimate the extent of coronavirus in Africa's most populous nation.

It was conducted before a second wave began in early December.

High rate of infection

The findings of the seroprevalence survey, carried out in September and October by Nigeria's Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Institute for Medical Research (IMR), are staggering, reports the BBC's Mayeni Jones from Lagos.

Rates of infection were initially thought to be low during the first wave of the pandemic, our reporter says. The country recorded its highest daily infection rate in January, when it logged 1,600 new cases, suggesting many more people were infected in the second wave.

What does the survey show?

The results found that one in five of those tested in the states of Lagos, Enugu and Nasarawa had been infected. In the north-eastern state of Gombe, the proportion was one in 10. The country recently approved the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for use, but it is not clear when it will receive them.

Why are statistics important?

Experts say having an accurate picture of who is dying, from what and where, is crucial when it comes to allocating resources and funding.

The number of positive cases and fatalities from coronavirus in Africa could be higher than reported because of low testing and poor registration of deaths.

Nigeria is among countries on the continent that do not have a compulsory system to register deaths, a BBC investigation found.

Only Egypt, South Africa, Tunisia, Algeria, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles and Mauritius have a universal death registration system.

Infections in men was higher and people living in urban areas were particularly vulnerable to contracting the virus, the study said.

For the head of the NCDC it shows that a large portion of Nigeria's 186 million inhabitants are still at risk from the virus. "Eighty to ninety per cent of the population in these four states are still susceptible to the virus which makes the vaccination efforts we are about to start in Nigeria even more important," said Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director-General of the NCDC.

Culled from BBC news

COVID-19: NW Governor challenges population to respect strict barrier measures to fight #COVID19

Press Release signed by NW Governor,  Adolphe Lele L'Afrique 

The Governor of the Northwest Region,  Adolphe Lele L'Afrique has in a communique indicated that there is another wave of the virus which may escalate if the efforts to fight the virus are not reinforced.

He made this call recently in Bamenda as he precided over  a regional advocacy meeting with some stake holders in the region. He revealed that for over the last 10 days, the Northwest region has recorded about 116 positive cases and 5 deaths related to the virus. Statistics shows that, 1189 persons tasted positive and over 935 recovered,173  active cases are on treatment and 81 deaths were recorded, he added. It should be noted that 40 of these deaths occurred in health facilities while 41 were from the communities. 

It is equally worth mentioning that Mezam  division, Boyo, Donga mantung and Ngoketunjia are so far the most affected divisions in the region.The entire population is equally expected to actively participate in  a covid 19 campaign expected to run for the next  three months in all health facilities.

Moreso, the population must continue to put on their face masks in all gatherings, maintain social distance, carry out testing, regularly wash hands with soap and running water and in cases where there is no water use a hand sanitizer.

Protect yourselves and your loved ones from the virus

By Amambo Carrey-Pride