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Panic As Yobe Records Suspected COVID-19 Case

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A suspected Coronavirus case has been reported in Potiskum town in Yobe State.

This is coming after a 30-year-old man in the state reportedly exhibited some symptoms of the deadly virus. The development has caused panic in the town.

The Commissioner of Health in the state, Dr Mohammed Lawan Gana, has confirmed the suspected case at a press briefing held in Damaturu on Friday.

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He noted that the press briefing was necessary to reduce the anxiety in the state following report of the suspected Coronavirus case.

“A 30-year-old truck driver presented to the General Out-Patient Department of General Hospital, Potiskum on the 2nd of April, 2020 with symptoms of cough, fever and difficulty in the breathing of six days duration.”

“The patient had travelled to Lagos 7 days earlier. He left Lagos on the 23rd of March, 2020 and had to stop over at a primary healthcare centre in Bauchi on account of the aforementioned symptoms when he couldn’t continue his journey to Potiskum.”

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“The State Rapid Response Team arrived at the hospital around 8:30 pm yesterday just a few hours after being presented to the hospital to commence case investigation and to institute clinical and public health actions.”

“These actions include immediate arrangements for safety measures, provision of personal protective equipment.”

“Other materials include; hands gloves, disinfectants were provided to the facility”, Dr Gana explained.

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He further stated that the patient has been placed on isolation for detailed assessment and detailed history, physical examination and other investigations were carried out to arrive at a possible differential diagnosis.

The commissioner of health further stated that the Contact Tracing Team was proactively constituted to conduct monitoring of contacts in the hospital and within the community.

“As at today, a sensitization message was also carried out by Imams in Potiskum during the Friday sermons and the public are responding positively and the whole aim is to calm members of Potiskum community.”

“As it is he (the patient) is being investigated for respiratory tract infection, tuberculosis and Coronavirus disease.”

“Basic samples of materials were collected and ware transported to the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, (NCDC) and WHO accredited lab in Abuja. The result is expected between tomorrow and the next.”

“I will like to inform the general public that the state COVID-19 committee and the State Ministry of Health are on top of the situation and assure all that, we are working tirelessly to ensure the health and safety of the population are guarded”, he assured.

Dr Gana called on the public to remain calm and continue to observe preventive measures such as frequent hand hygiene, observe respiratory etiquettes and maintain social distancing.