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| Chair Yobe COVID 19, Deputy Gov. Hon. Idi Barde Gubana and Vice Chair, Dr. Gana at the Media briefing on Thursdays in Damaturu |
Controversy trails Yobe COVID 19 index case, patient insist he is not positive, threatens not to accept any medication
From Duku JOEL, Damaturu
The least is not heard of the COVID 19 index case in Yobe as the suspect has maintain that his complain does not suggest any case definition of habouring the virus.
But the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC and Yobe State Government have both confirmed that the 29 year old banker was tested positive of the virus.
The NCDC last night, Wednesday released a total of 196 cases where Yobe was included to have recorded her index case since the outbreak of the virus.
On Thursday morning, 30th April, 2020, The State Deputy Governor, Hon. Idi Barde Gubana who is also the Chairman of the State Committee on the Prevention and Control of COVID 19 at a press briefing in Damaturu also announce the index case to the people of the state.
Hon. Idi Barde at the press briefing enjoined the people of the state to continue to take precautionary measure against the disease by regularly washing their hands, observe social distance, wearing of face masks in public places etc to fight the spread of the disease.
The commissioner for Health, Dr. Mohammed Lawan Gana who is the Vice chairman of the Committee disclosed that the non travel history of the patient could be a possibility of Community spread in the state, adding that, the state contact committee has already commenced work to establish and unraveled some of the questions surrounding the mystery.
But the patient (name withheld) in a telephone conversion with our correspond from his isolation facility insists that he does not have the virus.
He maintained that he presented himself to the hospital with a fever and catarrh and was surprised that he ended up in a COVID 19 isolation center event with a normal temperature and normal oxygen.
He also informed that he was not officially been contacted but he has already heard people calling him and spreading the rumours that he is covid 19 positive.
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| Dr. Mohammed Lawan Gana, Com Heath, Yobe Vice Chair, Yobe COVID 19 Committee |
He demanded documentary evidence of his test from the officials of the committee and representative of the NCDC or threaten not to take any medication from the facility.
Below is the full except of his conversation with our reporter, JOEL DUKU on phone in Damaturu.
I came to the hospital on Monday and complained about catarrh and fever and the doctor advised that I go to the Isolation center and be treated under covid 19. Up till now the result has nit come out and rumour have gone everywhere that I have covid 19. And officially I have not been told of any thing concerning the result. I don’t know what is happening. I have not seeing or heard anything.
Travel history.
No, no, I did not travel. I am nit the twyp that likes traveling, the last time that I think I left Yobe was in 2018 and the last time I went to Maiduguri is about eight months. So I don’t know how come.
So where do you think you could have gotten this virus?
Honestly, I don’t know.
How are you feeling now?
I am not feeling anything for now. But I said let me wait and see what they can do. But I am telling you, I am not felling feverish and no fever again.
What about your temperature?
My temperature is 36.5 as of yesterday evening. My oxygen is reading 100/1000. Gaskiya the thing is confusing me now. I am seriously confused.
Do you know that officially Yobe has been confirmed of having one case of COVID-19?
Yes I saw it too. I saw it on my phone. I have my phone here and I am browsing
What is the bank saying?
The bank for now hasn’t said anything because there is not official statement. But me I want to see documented evidence from the ncdc that clearly defined that I have this COVID or I don’t have and I am not going to accept any medication without providing an evident that I have this thing or not.
Do you have any medical history this people know?
I have a medical history of allergy with dust and fan, I had a nose surgery last year. Honestly, I am confused and I don’t know what to say again.
Our correspondent who also visited the new generation bank where the patient works gathered that all the staff of the branch have been advised to stay off from office as one of their colleagues is suspected to have tested positive of the COVID 19 virus.
Some staff of the bank who spoke to our correspondent in Damaturu gathered that, the Yobe State COVID-19 asked them to stay off the office because they were coming to de-contaminate the office.
The Nation also gathered that, all the staff of the branch have been asked to proceed on self-isolation for a period of 14 days as part of measures to stop the spread of the virus.
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| R-L Commissioners of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Environment and Religious Affairs during the media briefing |
Investigation however revealed that the travel history of the case of the suspected victim
indicate that he has not travelled out of Damaturu in the last eight months.
Some of the staff are still expressing reservation on the said result due to the fact that their colleague has not travelled to any of the high burden states of COVID-19.
A medical personal revealed at the State Specialist Hospital who does not want to be mentioned said; “if the result of is positive as it is being speculated, and that the suspect did not travel out of the state for that period of time as being said, then there is already community spread of the virus in the state”.
Speaking on the action of the patient, the Vice Chairnan of the Yobe COVID 19 committee and Commissioner for Health, Dr. Gana, said, “it a normal reaction of patients to this kind of issues but I believe he will pull through and come along eventually”.
published by The Nation
Is really surprising, because rumour is all over the town even before the NCDC announcement.this Is seriously ambiguous.
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