Kano index case hid travel history, attended parties – Doctor
- A medical doctor, James King, who had contact with Kano index case, said the patient hid his travel history
The medical doctors and others, who had contact with the index case, tested negative for coronavirus on Thursday.
King, in a Facebook post on Thursday, narrated how the index case arrived at the hospital and was later taken for isolation by security agents.
The Kano-based doctor explained that the patient had wilfully withheld information about his recent travel history and COVID-19 test, He added that the index case had attended several public events.
According to him, the index case visited the hospital on April 10 with complaints of fever and general body weakness, mouth dryness and loss of appetite.
He said, “It was unknown to us that he was alleged to have travelled abroad too before returning to my resident state (Kano) via Abuja, travelling by road. While travelling by road, he stayed briefly in Kaduna before arriving in my resident state on March 25, 2020.
“He denied all this travel history to us. He also denied having the pertinent coronavirus symptoms; breathlessness and cough. He hid the fact that he had been to several medical outlets since his return to the state.
“And importantly, he did not provide information that his samples were taken by the NCDC for COVID-19 testing before coming to us.”
King added that the patient claimed to have felt ill for a few days but denied symptoms of cough, breathlessness or palpitations.
“Of course, he denied all the above in order for him to have our medical care. Putting us all and many others at high risk of the novel pandemic. Many other medical questions were asked and documented.
“He was further evaluated, examined and admitted into a private room upstairs on Friday 10th, April 2020 about 7pm by my boss. He had contact with two doctors (my boss and me), three nurses and one non-medical member of staff.
“We also learnt that, during his illness, before coming to us, he was attending Friday mosque prayers, naming ceremonies and other gatherings.”
King stated that the following day, health officials with massive police presence staged a “Nollywood-like dramatic entrance” into the hospital, while a major road around the facility was blocked and made a security restricted area.
He said, “The officials told us that we had a man in our facility that had just tested positive for COVID-19. There was an order from the governor of the state to lock down the hospital immediately to prevent further spread.
“The patient was whisked away to a quarantine centre on the outskirts of the state. We were placed in isolation too in our hospital facility. Samples were taken from our staff for COVID-19 testing.
“For many days, we could not physically reach our families or anyone. At last, the results came out yesterday afternoon, April 15, 2020 and it was negative for all of us.”
He added that they had yet to be released from isolation.
Private hospitals treating patients will be shut, FG warns
But the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said private hospitals treating COVI-19 patients secretly would be shut.
Ehanire spoke during the briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja, where he also advised against physical contacts with grandparents who were vulnerable to coronavirus.
He said it was unfortunate that a medical doctor (in Lagos) died of the virus after contracting it.
He stated that it underscored the risk involved in treating people infected with COVID-19 at an unauthorised medical facility.
Ehanire said, “Quite unfortunately, the latest fatality in Lagos is a medical professional. I want to express my condolences to the family. This highlights the risk to health workers in this COVID-19 response.
“Patients with mild symptoms are still very highly infectious, and mild symptoms in one person could be deadly infection in another. That is why we recommend the suspension of close contact between grandchildren and grandparents at this time.
“Our valuable health workers are urged to adhere to all government instructions and regulations. Always utilise personal protective equipment; maintain a high index of suspicion for COVID-19; and protect yourselves, your loved ones and your colleagues.
“I shall use this opportunity to again strongly advise health professionals against private or secret management of people who have COVID-19 outside of accredited health facilities. We cannot afford avoidable morbidity and mortality.
“Private facilities must obtain accreditation to treat this highly infectious disease. Practitioners engaging in unauthorised treatment of COVID-19, run the risk of being shut down for decontamination.”
The minister said that the next phase of the PTF strategy in its effort to curb the spread of the virus would focus on community testing.
While addressing complaints from health workers in some hospitals that PPE was inadequate, the minister said that it was important to manage the national stockpile of the equipment because of the inability of foreign manufacturers to produce the materials.
Explaining procedure for discharging patients from the isolation centres, Ehanire said it varied from one patient to another. He stressed that it was important that a patient to be discharged must be tested twice and the result must be negative.
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