Ekiti coronavirus patient stabilises as govt traces 70 contacts

The 29-year-old patient diagnosed with the COVID-19 in Ekiti State, who had been in a coma, has regained consciousness, the state government has said.

The woman, whose status was established on Friday, had arrived the state from Lagos pregnant and was delivered via cesarean section. She subsequently became unconscious.

While speaking on the development on Saturday, the governor, Kayode Fayemi, said the woman, who is a public health worker in Lagos, had ‘sneaked’ into Ekiti despite the lockdown.

After making her first call at Comprehensive Primary Health Care, she was referred to the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, but she went to a private hospital where she was operated upon before she was eventually transferred to the teaching hospital.

Her samples were taken and on Friday she tested positive to the virus.

However, the Commissioner for Health, Mojisola Yahaya-Kolade, told journalists in Ado Ekiti that “the patient was gradually coming out of coma”.

“The news of the third case was broken by Mr Governor on Saturday. She went into coma before being referred to a teaching hospital,” Mrs Yayaha-Kolade said.

“I want to tell you that she is improving. As of now, she is stabilising and responding to treatment.”

The state has three cases of the virus. One has successfully been treated and discharged.

Isolation

Mrs Yaya-Kolade also said about 73 people that had contacts with the patient had been identified through aggressive contact tracing that was done by the government.

“Out of the 73, we have traced 70 of them and they are currently being monitored,” she said.

“We have advised them to be in self-isolation (quarantine) for 14 days while the secondary contacts are being traced with the aid of our district surveillance officers.

“Some of the ‘suspects’ who didn’t have homes to perform the self-isolation are being provided with accommodation by government.”

Mrs Yayaha-Kolade noted that 42 blood samples had been taken to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and 39 had been done with no confirmed result as of now.

Meanwhile, the special adviser to the governor on security, Ebenezer Ogundana, said in view of the identified gaps in security, the state government had closed all entry points into the state.

Mr Ogundana, a retired brigadier-general, said traditional rulers and youths of the border towns were being involved to check unauthorised movements into Ekiti State.