COVID19: Edo State Records 13 Suspected Cases

WHO Confirms 13 suspected COVID-19 Cases for Screening in Edo

By Lovely Ediakhe Richard 

on March 31, 2020

• As Government Commences Massive Screening across the state

Going by the recent records of two cases of COVID-19 present in Edo State, as provided by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, more cases are likely to be confirmed either negative or positive for the pandemic disease in the coming days.

This, according to a statement credited to the state coordinator of the World Health Organisation, Faith Ireye, who recently confirmed 13 new cases, saying, blood samples had been sent to the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital for onward screening.

Covid-19

Recall that, unconfirmed report extracted from a voice conversation between an unknown person who claimed to be a health worker in Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital and his relative made the rounds on social media revealing that more cases have been reported against the numbers officially declared by the authority.

However, the rumours were outrightly dismissed by Governor Godwin Obaseki’s Aide on Media and Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, calling it a fabrication.

Although Crusoe Osagie said, the hospital is not within the ambit of the state government, therefore, can’t speak for them, he disclosed that a statement disclaiming such rumours was released by the teaching hospital authority.

Speaking, Ireye stated that From the contact they have made, there are identified cases of 13 persons that require attention and their specimens have been taken to the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital.

“From the calls, we have received, thirteen people requires attention. Some of the results are back and they tested negative, but we are still waiting for the rest. We are telling you this to show that we are actually following cases of interest.

Apart from the ones we got from the telephone calls, we also have persons of interest that entered the country through the Abuja airport; we got the list and we are following them up, but over 36 of them have completed their 14 days and exited.” Ireye informed.

Adding, she noted; “However we want to still look inwards. If we have more cases that had contact with the confirmed cases (two), we keep line listing.

“The idea is to be able to follow them up so that when they become symptomatic we will quickly remove them from the community to the isolation centre even before the results of the tests will be out.

“It is either we take them to the isolation centre or we tell them to self-isolate at home if they can do it.”

Meanwhile, the identity of the second confirmed case of coronavirus in the state, is yet to be revealed with the first index case in the state, given as the Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Frank Okiye.

But addressing journalists in Government House, Benin, on Monday, the Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, said the state government was going to commence a massive coronavirus testing in a bid to stop the spread of the disease in the state.

Comrade Shaibu also said the state government has embarked on the training of 4,218 medical personnel across the state and stocking up on medical supplies, among other measures being put in place to combat the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the state.

Deputy Governor and Chairman, Edo State Response Committee on COVID-19, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu maintained that the action is part of government’s preparedness to halt the outbreak in the state