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90% of mass deaths in our state not caused by COVID-19 —Yobe Govt

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The Yobe State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mohammed Lawan Gana, declared on Tuesday that the strange deaths in different communities across the state were not caused by COVID 19.

Gana, who stated this at a media briefing in Damaturu, revealed that the preliminary report of the investigative team constituted by the state government had confirmed that 90 percent of the mass deaths had no “multiple case definition symptoms” of COVID-19.

According to him, the team arrived at the result after examining and interviewing relatives of the deceased persons and medical personnel who treated them at the hospital.

The commissioner told journalists that 471 deaths were recorded from last week of April to second week of May in Potiskum, Nguru, Gashu’a and Damaturu, the state capital.

He said: “At least 57 percent of the deaths had an underlying chronic illness which included fever, hypertension, diabetes, renal disease, maternal mortality and accident.”

“57 percent of people that died were older people within the aged bracket of 50 years and above and a majority of them were men.

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“Relatives of 16 out of the 471 deceased had similar symptoms and all the 16 were investigated and referred to facility. Out of the number, three met the case definition of COVID-19,” Gana added.

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