Connect with us

News

Safety alert issued as Borno COVID-19 patients go into hiding

Published

on

Prof.-Babagana-Umara-Zulum-Borno-State-Governor

The Borno High Powered Committee on Coronavirus (COVID-19) has urged residents of Maiduguri to be on the alert after two positive patients went into hiding in the state.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Salisu Kwaya-Bura, stated this on Sunday while giving an update on the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.

He said a 24-year-old male and a 42-year-old female have gone into hiding to avoid being taken to an isolation centre.

Kwaya-Bura, who is the Secretary of the task force, said surveillance teams have been deployed to locate and return them to the isolation centre.

He said: “The male patient at first responded to a phone call from the team after his sample was collected but switched off his phone when he learnt he tested positive.

“When samples of patients with contacts to index cases are collected, they are normally advised to go on self-isolation.

“They give their contacts so they can be reached when results are out. This is the standard medical procedure.

“You can’t detain someone with suspected contact. We do not have the lawful powers to do that. Other patients were also allowed to leave but they came into isolation centres and we have 19 of them in two isolation centres

“However, the young man in question chose to go into hiding.”

Kwaya-bura called on anyone who tests positive to the virus not to see it as a death sentence as a majority of those who tested positive have recovered from the disease.

READ ALSO: Oyo confirms 3 new COVID-19 cases

“The 16 COVID-19 cases recorded in Borno emanated from community transmission while 14 others were connected to the index case,” the commissioner added.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now