One of the two fleeing COVID-19 patients in Borno state has been found, the state Commissioner of Health, Dr. Salisu Kwayabura has confirmed.
Kwayabura said on Monday in a Facebook post on the state government’s official page that “Abbas Kaka Hassan, a 24 year-old male, who tested positive for COVID-19 has been traced around 2am, in the early hours of today (Monday) in Maiduguri”.
Hassan, who was tested at UMTH’s COVID-19 laboratory, was declared at large along with one other on Sunday, after his phones and that of his mother were off.
Kwayabura said a combined team of health surveillance and investigation team, backed by a police escort, traced the patient in a critical state at his family house in Gwange 11.
“He was immediately moved on stretcher and is now on ventilator at an isolation centre,” he added.
Dr. Kwayabura said health workers are doing everything possible to revive the patient while a contact tracing and surveillance team has been deployed to identify persons who may have had direct and indirect contacts with him, for risks assessment, isolation advise and collection of samples for tests.
The Commissioner however said, that Hauwa Mohammed, 42 year-old female, who also tested positive at UMTH test laboratory, is still at large.
He urged her to as a matter or urgency, report to the hospital even as a combination of health surveillance experts and security officials are making all efforts to trace her.
The woman was said to be living in Shuwari ward, also in Maiduguri.
Dr. Kwayabura reiterated his call on citizens who test positive not to stay away from isolation centres but come forward for help.
He noted that the chance of recovering from COVID-19 is higher than the chance of dying from the disease.
He also called on members of the public to show empathy and compassion rather than stigmatize anyone who tests positive because stigmatization only keeps patients away from isolation centres and make them spread infections among citizens that may include those who stigmatize them.
Dr. Kwayabura had explained Sunday evening that health workers do not have powers to detain persons whose samples were collected while awaiting results.
“When samples of patients with contacts to index cases are collected, they are normally advised to go on self-isolation.
“They give their contacts so they can be reached when results are out. This is the standard medical procedure. You can’t detain someone with suspected contact.
“We do not have the lawful powers to do that. Other patients were also allowed to leave but they came into isolation centres and we have 19 of them in two isolation centres and they are doing well. This is the standard practice” he said.
