By SINL Reporter
A second case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Nigeria.
Nigeria minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, made this known on Monday.
According to the minister, the newly confirmed case is an Ogun State contact of the index case, saying he has no significant clinical symptoms. Thus brings the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nigeria to two.
Dr. Ehanire spoke in Benin during a press briefing reiterated that the newly confirmed case is not a new importation, but a contact of the index case, the Italian, who has since been in isolation and was under clinical follow up.
According to him, “A total of 217 contacts were linked to the index case. Of the 217, 45 travelled out of Nigeria and 172 contacts are presently in Nigeria. Of the 172 contacts currently in Nigeria, 69 are in Lagos, 40 in Ogun and 52 in other States, with 11 in unknown locations.
“Nevertheless, the Federal Ministry of Health, following best practice, decided to test these persons for possible presence of coronavirus in their systems. On 8th March 2020, scientists confirmed the presence of coronavirus in one of the contacts.
“It is my duty therefore to announce a new case of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Nigeria. The newly confirmed case is an Ogun State contact of the index case, but he has no significant clinical symptoms. Thus brings the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nigeria today to two”.
He explained that since the beginning of the outbreak in China and subsequent spread to other countries, one of the important response strategies at the containment stage, has been to identify all contacts, ensure their strict isolation and to follow up daily with checks for any symptoms of the disease.
