Coronavirus: We never had contact with Italian patient - LUTH

Adeyemo told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on phone on Friday that the patient was never presented in the hospital.

He said that there was no need for the populace to panic.

He said that in his own opinion and as far as LUTH was concerned, several meetings, seminars and workshops had been done on how to respond to such cases if they should occur.

Adeyemo said that LUTH was prepared and others should get prepared.

“In a situation like this, if you have any confirmed case, we make sure that we isolate the patient, trace the contacts the patient must have had contact with,’’ he said.

Adeyemo said that the Federal Government and the Lagos State Government were fully on ground to respond to cases of people with Coronavirus.

He said that they had been providing quality care for patients, the index case and most importantly, there is need to prevent any hospital outbreak.

The chairman said that the hospital was there to provide preventive medicine to prevent transmission of diseases and also to prevent community transmission.

NAN reports that the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, had on Friday confirmed the first case of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak in Lagos, saying it was brought into the country by an Italian.

He said in Lagos that the Italian had arrived Nigeria on Feb. 25 from Milan, Italy, for a brief business visit.

Abayomi, however, said the State Emergency Operations Centre had been activated in response to the case and to implement firm control measures.

The commissioner said that the case was confirmed on Feb. 27, and has been reported to the Federal Ministry of Health.

Abayomi said that the patient fell ill on Feb.26, and was transferred to the Lagos State Biosecurity Facilities for isolation and testing.

“The patient is clinically stable, with no serious symptoms, and is being managed at the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, Lagos,” Abayomi said.