The Ekiti state government has confirmed the coronavirus case recorded on Wednesday.
Coronavirus disease, also known as COVID-19, has been declared a pandemic by the World Health organisation (WHO) with eight confirmed cases in Nigeria, as at today, March 18, 2020.
Amongst the five new cases reported earlier today was an indigene of Ekiti state and a six-week-old baby.
According to the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Mojisola Yaya-Kolade, the confirmed case is suspected to have been infected while driving an American Caucasian, male, 27 years old, who was visiting Nigeria from Richmond, Virginia, USA in the company of his caregiver, a Nigerian female Age 31, of Ekiti origin.
“The American male and his Nigerian female caregiver, arrived Nigeria on 3rd March 2020 through the Muritala Mohammed International Airport Lagos,” the statement issued read.
While narrating the results of the Preliminary investigations, it was stated that the pair were driven by the patient to Ibadan, where they stayed for two weeks, and arrived Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State on the q13th March, 2020.
“A day after their arrival, the American male fell ill and he was taken to a private hospital where he was referred to a tertiary hospital. Unfortunately, he died from complications of his illness.”
“The hospital authorities alerted the State Taskforce and samples were taken from the American male as well as his two companions. The test for the male driver came back positive; the test for the female caregiver came back negative while the test for the American male was inconclusive.”
The Commissioner said the patient is very stable and not showing any symptoms while NCDC will repeat the test for the caregiver who is also in self isolation.
