Akwa-Ibom doctor dies after showing signs of Covid-19

A medical doctor has been confirmed dead in Akwa Ibom State after showing symptoms of the coronavirus.

In a statement on Thursday, the chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Akwa Ibom State branch, Nsikak Nyoyoko, confirmed Dominic Essien’s death.

The doctor until his death was a physiotherapist, owned a private clinic in Uyo and was also a lecturer in the Department of Physiology, University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

Mr Nyoyoko said the late doctor showed signs of the coronavirus before he was hospitalized in the state.

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“I was called last night by a colleague who intimated me that one of our colleagues was sick with a week’s history of fever, cough and shortness of breath which worsened yesterday with his SPO2 as low as 72%, requiring him to be placed on oxygen at his clinic,” Mr Nyoyoko said.

“I immediately called upon a member of the State #COVID19 Response Team to swing into action and somehow, later last night, our colleague was admitted into ISH and managed by specialists in respiratory medicine.

“With the symptoms elucidated above, a suspicion of COVID-19 was entertained and he had his sample taken today awaiting transportation to the laboratory for COVID-19 testing.

“Unfortunately, this revered colleague of ours died mid-afternoon.”

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