‘I could have died’, El-Rufai recounts coronavirus experience

One week after Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State announced his recovery from coronavirus, the governor said he could have died from the infection if not for doctors.

Governor El-Rufai tested positive for the virus on Saturday, March 28, 2020. He was the index case of the pandemic in his state.

In an interview on Wednesday, April 29, 2020, El-Rufai said he went through trauma, adding that he didn’t know how he contracted the respiratory tract infection.

He said, “I could have died, if not for my doctors. I followed their instructions strictly and took my medications,” el-Rufai said in Hausa.

“My wives collaborated with Dr Hadiza, the deputy governor and seized my phones while in isolation. I was only left with an iPad, the device I used to read and go online.

“I survived it, someone else may not, that is why we are very serious about the disease. I went through trauma, even when I spoke online from isolation, I was battling with a debilitating headache. I won’t like even my enemy to suffer from coronavirus.

“I can’t exactly say how I contracted the coronavirus. But I was in Abuja and had interacted with many people, some from overseas.

“I was assigned to chair committees by the government. I believe it was from these interactions that I got the virus.”

The governor, however, urged Nigerians to comply with health guidelines to prevent the spread of the pandemic, saying the disease does not distinguish between the rich and poor.