Two patients, a man, and a woman are on the run after testing positive for COVID-19 at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital in Borno State.
The Borno commissioner of health, Salisu Kwayabura, disclosed this information to journalists at the daily briefing of the Committee on COVID-19.
He said, “two patients, Abbas Kaka Hassan, a 24-year-old male and Hauwa Mohammed, 42-year-old female, are on the run after testing positive to COVID-19 at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital in the metropolis.”
He said the male is from Layin tanki suburbs in the Gwange II ward, while the woman lives in the Shuwari ward.
The commissioner said the male patient (Abbas) was in initial telephone contact with the response team after his sample was collected, but eventually switched off his phone when he learned he tested positive.
“When samples of patients with contacts to index cases are collected, they are normally advised to go on self-isolation,” the health commissioner said.
“They give their contacts so they can be reached when the results are out. This is the standard medical procedure. You can’t detain someone with suspected contact. We do not have the lawful powers to do that.
“Other patients were also allowed to leave but they came into isolation centres and we have 19 of them in two isolation centres. However, the young man in question chose to go into hiding”.
Mr. Kwayabura called on anyone who tests positive for the disease not to regard it as a death sentence as the majority of those who test positive have recovered from it.
The NCDC had, last night, announced that Borno’s confirmed cases of COVID-19 had shot up to 30 cases after 18 more persons tested positive.
Mr. Kwayabura explained that “16 of Borno’s COVID-19 cases emanated from community transmission, while 14 others were connected with the index ‘and another case.’”
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