Report says, Ekiti State has recorded its first death from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The deceased, a pregnant 29-year-old female community health worker based in Lagos, reportedly sneaked into Ekiti in spite the lockdown in the state died at the Intensive Care Unit of Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti, on Wednesday.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mojisola Yaya-Kolade, confirmed the woman’s death in Ado-Ekiti at a media briefing and said the woman died around 6.58am on Wednesday.
Yaya-Kolade regretted that the patient infected a 45-year-old medical doctor who had now been identified as the fourth case by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
She said,
“The woman showed signs of stability on Monday, but unfortunately, her condition deteriorated yesterday and we lost her exactly 6.58am today.”
“We are going to meet with the family on her burial. We are going to consider safety despite that there was assumption that the virus is not active in corpse, because we don’t know much about the virus.
“But whatever we are going to do won’t be against the interest of the family. But let me assure you that the state will also be on the side of safety".
She added that, the hospital where the patient died had been sanitised, urging members of the public not to stigmatise the hospital.
Meanwhile, all 78 persons who had contacts with the deceased and the medical doctor had been traced and placed in isolation.