BY DAYO ADESULU
The Ministry of Health in Lagos State has reported Nigeria first case of the deadly coronavirus on 27 February 2020.
Commissioner for Health in Lagos State, Prof Akin Abayomi on Thursday broke the sad news to the Federal Ministry of Health.
The coronavirus which first broke out in January 2020 in China has killed 2,788.
As at Thursday, yesterday, 27, 2020, China’s National Health Commission reported 327 new confirmed cases and 44 new deaths.
Altogether, China has 78,824 confirmed cases and the death toll was at 2,788.
Also, its neighbour in South Korea has confirmed an additional 256 new coronavirus cases, bringing the country’s total to 2,022, according to its Centers for Disease Prevention and Control.
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Sadly enough, this deadly virus hits the soil of Nigeria on Thursday through an Italian.
Commissioner of Health, Prof Akin Abayomi disclosed that the case involved an Italian citizen who entered Nigeria on the 25th of February from Milan, Italy for a brief business visit.
The Italian fell ill on February 26 and transferred to Lagos State Biosecurity Facilities for isolation and testing.
According to Abayomi, after the test, he was confirmed as COVID-19 infection by the Virology Laboratory of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, the part of the Laboratory Network of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
Abayomi said: ‘The patient is clinically stable, with no serious symptoms, and is being managed at the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, Lagos.
“The Government of Lagos State under the Governor as the COVID-19 Incident Commander, through the Lagos State Ministry of Health, has been strengthening measures to ensure that any outbreak in Lagos is controlled and contained quickly in collaboration with the multi-sectoral Coronavirus Preparedness Group, led by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
” We have immediately activated the State Emergency Operations Centre to respond to this case and implement firm control measures.
“I wish to assure all Lagosians and Nigerians that we have been strengthening our preparedness since the first confirmation of cases in China.
“We will use all the resources made available by the State and the Federal Government to respond to this case.”
He, however, added that the ministry was working to identify all the contacts of the patient since he arrived in Nigeria.
