Kebbi discharges index COVID-19 patient

The Kebbi state government says it discharged its index COVID-19 patient.

Yahaya Sarki, special adviser on media to Atiku Bagudu, governor of the state, made this known in a statement on Tuesday.

He quoted Jafar Mohammed, Kebbi commissioner for health and chairman of the state’s task force on COVID-19, as making the announcement at the Kebbi Medical Centre, Kalgo, on Monday.

Mohammed said the index patient underwent two weeks of isolation and that treatment was provided during the 14-day period.

He said two tests conducted on May 6 and 9 returned negative, necessitating the patient’s discharge.

“Today, we are witnessing the formal discharge of our index case of COVID-19 after undergoing isolation for two consecutive weeks,” he said.

“Follow up tests were carried out two consecutive times and the two results turned out to be negative.

“The first test came out on May 6, 2020, and the follow-up test on May 9 also came out negative.”

The commissioner commended the health workers in the state for their efforts in combating the virus.

According to data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the state currently has 24 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

As of Monday evening, Nigeria recorded 4,641 cases of COVID-19, out of which 902 patients have been discharged while 150 persons have died.