Coronavirus patient attempts escape from isolation centre

An attempt by a COVID-19 patient to escape from an isolation centre in Kaduna State has been foiled by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, an official of the Corps said Thursday.

The patient was captured by Joshua Philip, a Corps Assistant, at the Infectious Disease Control Center, Down Quarters, Kaduna State, spokesperson of the agency, Ekunola Gbenga, said in a statement.

Mr Gbenga said the patient, a male, had tried to leave the isolation center for morning prayers without the permission of doctors.

This, he said, led to a confrontation between “our personnel and the patient, who forcefully picked the keys of the gate of the centre and tried to open the gate to escape, thereby exposing the officer to the virus.”

Mr Philip, who ‘captured’ the patient was given some drugs, and has been instructed to self-isolate for two weeks and call the centre if he develops any symptoms, the statement added.

Earlier this month, six COVID-19 patients escaped from the isolation centre in Osun State. The state later said five were immediately captured.

It is unclear how this escapes might have triggered transmission, but the nation’s disease control agency chief, Chikwe Iheakwazu, has said there is evidence of local transmission, so has the commissioner for health in Lagos, Nigeria’s epicentre of the virus, Akin Abayomi, said.

Earlier in the week, a gatekeeper in Kaduna State, who recently returned from Lagos State and had no connection to the first five confirmed coronavirus cases in the state, tested positive for COVID-19, Amina Baloni, the Kaduna commissioner for health, said.

Also, on Thursday, a 63-year-old male, who had no travel history, died of COVID-19 in Lagos.

Nigeria on Thursday confirmed 35 new COVID-19 cases, it’s highest increase so far, after it recorded 34 Wednesday and 30 Tuesday.

Nigeria’s total cases is now 442, with 150 recovery and 13 deaths recorded, as of Thursday night, according to the NDDC.