Nigeria’s Honourable Minister of Health has announced a confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID-19) case in Lagos State.
The index case, which was confirmed on the 27th of February 2020, is the first case to be reported in Nigeria since the beginning of the outbreak in China in January 2020.
According to the NCDC, the patient is clinically stable and is being managed at the Infectious Disease Hospital Yaba. We assure all Nigerians that measures are in place to respond appropriately. We’re working with @LSMOH to identify contacts & initiate response accordingly.
This news of the positive case of confirmed coronavirus in Lagos, Nigeria was broken by the Honourable Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire on his Twitter handle.
The Federal Ministry of Health @FMoHNigeria has confirmed a coronavirus disease #COVID19 case in Lagos State.
The case, which was confirmed on the 27th of February 2020, is the first case to be reported in Nigeria since the beginning of the outbreak in China in January 2020. pic.twitter.com/cMf3NnkU0x— Dr. E. Osagie Ehanire MD, FWACS (@DrEOEhanire) February 27, 2020
The patient, a foreign national with no serious symptoms, has been placed in treatment with the Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba.@NCDCGov is working closely with @LSMoH to identify all contacts of the patient.@FMoHNigeria will continue to provide updates
— Dr. E. Osagie Ehanire MD, FWACS (@DrEOEhanire) February 27, 2020
This is my complete Press Statement on the confirmed case of #COVID19 in #Nigeria@FMoHNigeria@NCDCGov@LUTHOfficial@LSMoH pic.twitter.com/MarpxetNI2
— Dr. E. Osagie Ehanire MD, FWACS (@DrEOEhanire) February 28, 2020
How Prepared is Nigeria
In preparation for COVID-19 which is now a global pandemic, the Federal government of Nigeria had budget 620 million Naira for the procurement of diagnostic reagents and standardisation of our existing laboratories. Furthermore, diagnostic and treatment centres for coronavirus has been set up in Lagos, Abuja and Edo and sensitization has been ongoing especially from patriotic medical practitioners.
Symptoms of coronavirus
Symptoms are more severe and fatality is higher in persons that have medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, or diseases that impairs the immune systems.
For those those with a weakened immune system, the elderly and the very young, there’s a chance the virus could cause a lower, and much more serious respiratory tract illness like pneumonia or bronchitis.
[…] case, which was confirmed on the 27th of February 2020, is the first case to be reported in Nigeria since the beginning of […]
[…] African countries with confirmed cases include Nigeria, Senegal, Egypt and […]