A Nigerian, who returned from the United Kingdom last Friday, has tested positive for the new coronavirus, Lagos State Ministry of Health said on Tuesday.
“She is clinically stable and is being treated at the Infectious Disease Hospital, Lagos,” Nigeria’s health minister Dr Osagie Ehanire said.
Lagos State health ministry said the patient, a 30-year-old Nigerian female, observed self-isolation, developed symptoms and tested positive for the coronavirus.
Already, the Nigerian Government has started tracing those on the same flight with the unnamed patient. Ehanire said he expected the number to be minimal “because of her sensible decision to go into self-isolation from the time of her arrival.”
“We commend her for following the recommended guidelines to the letter. The Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) will continue to assess the situation and adjust the response accordingly,” the minister said.
“It is important to note that many people who are infected with coronavirus will experience only mild symptoms and recover without incident.
“Of great concern are those with existing underlying medical conditions and senior citizens, who are known to be more vulnerable. We strongly advise these citizens to stay more at home.”
Nigeria on Thursday, February 28, 2020, confirmed its first case of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Lagos State.
The first patient is an Italian citizen, who returned from Milan, Italy to Lagos on Tuesday, February 25 2020.
He was confirmed by the Virology Laboratory at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, which is part of the Laboratory Network at the Nigeria Center for Disease Control.
Two weeks after, a second coronavirus index in Nigeria was confirmed in Lagos State.
Ehanire at a press conference in Benin City, Edo State, said that the new patient had contact with the Italian man who was first infected.
The second patient has since tested negative to the virus after treatment.
