Kebbi denies rumour of COVID-19 outbreak
Kebbi state government has denied rumours that a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in the state has contacted the coronavirus.
Commissioner for Health and Chairman of the task force for control of COVID-19 in the state, Alhaji Ja’afar Muhammad, said this while briefing newsmen in Birnin-Kebbi on Thursday.
Muhammad said that the state has not yet recorded any case of the coronavirus, stating that the briefing became necessary following social media reports alluding that a member of the NYSC in the state has contracted the virus.
“The 27- year – old NYSC member that was alleged to have contracted the virus was diagnosed at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Birnin Kebbi on March 24 and the result turned out to be pneumonia not COVID-19 as falsely speculated.
“The corps member was presented from the NYSC camp with a history of fever, cough and body pain at federal medical centre with no history of travels outside the country or any contact with suspected or confirmed case of COVID -19 in the last two weeks preceding his presentation.
“He has been admitted and managed as a case of community acquired pneumonia of which he has made satisfactory progress and is awaiting discharge,” he said.
According to him, in view of the circumstances surrounding his admission, his sample has being taken and the result is being awaited.
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Muhammad said that the result would be made available in the next few days for proper confirmation and urged the people to remain calm.
”There is no need to panic as all our teams are on red alert, routinely and diligently providing all the necessary needed services.
“We have since swung into action as regards surveillance and rapid response mechanisms to complement the existing healthcare structures in the state.
“Sub- committees have been set up by the Task Force, to fine-tune plausible strategies and measures against Covid -19,” he said.
The commissioner however, promised that the task force would update the people regularly through the media, as well as other communication outlets.
He warned members of the public to desist from spreading false information on the coronavirus in the social media which may cause unnecessary apprehension and anxiety in the minds of residents of the state.
