BENIN CITY – The Honorable Minister Of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, yesterday confirmed a new case of Corona-virus disease (COVID-19) in Nigeria.
Hon. Ehanire said that the newly confirmed case is an Ogun State contact of the index case (the Italian National) who according to him has no significant clinical symptoms and thereby bringing the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nigeria to two (2).
The Minister who gave the disclosure during a Ministerial Press Briefing held at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, yesterday, clarified that that the Ogun case was not new importation but a contact of the index who has been in isolation and was under clinical follow up.
As you are know, 40 persons in Ogun and 20 in Lagos are under isolation and have remained free of any symptoms since.
“Nevertheless, the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), following best practice, decided to test these persons for possible presence of Corona-virus in their systems. On the 8th of March, Scientists confirmed the presence of Corona-virus in one of the contacts.
“It is my duty therefore to announce a new case of Corona-virus disease (COVID-19) in Nigeria. This brings the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nigeria to two”, he said.
Continuing: “A team of researchers from various institutions in Nigeria, led by top Scientists of the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) Lagos, combined with their efforts to successfully perform the genome sequencing of the Corona-virus strain that the index case brought to Nigeria and proved it to be a match with the virus circulating in Italy and Wuhan.
“It is the first time the sequencing of this virus has been performed in Africa. The result has been shared with International Authorities and the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) has extended congratulations to Nigerian Scientists for this achievement.
“Contact tracing and monitoring in respect of the Corona-virus index case presently receiving treatment in Lagos, has been diligently and conscientiously pursued since the 27th of February when the case was first diagnosed”, he said.
While asserting that all contacts of the index case in Ogun and Lagos states would remain in isolation, Dr. Ehanire assured that Ministries of Health it the two states and the Federal Government are committed to controlling the spread of the disease, hence, it has spent about N1 billion in the containment of the dreaded disease.
Maintaining of regular and thorough hands wash with soap and water at least 30 seconds, using alcohol-based hand sanitizer as well as maintaining 2 metres distance from people were some of the advise given by the Minister.
