LASUTH places doctors, nurse in isolation — after contact with COVID-19 patient

The Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, says it has placed three of its health workers in isolation after their contact with a patient who died of COVID-19.

Ibrahim Mustafa, chairman of the LASUTH medical advisory committee, broke the news on Sunday in Lagos.

Mustafa said two doctors and a nurse had contact with the patient, who later died at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos, on April 3.

The Lagos State ministry of health confirmed on Saturday that a 55-year-old man died as a result of complications arising from COVID-19.

The patient had refused to disclose his travel history and was treated under the assumption that he was suffering from complications of a kidney transplant carried out seven years ago.

According to Mustafa, the patient was attended to in the vehicle that conveyed him to LASUTH, and as such his exposure to health workers and other patients was reduced.

He said the patient was suspect of being a COVID-19 case, and was referred to LUTH due to insufficient bed space at LASUTH as of the time he was presented at the facility.

“The patient did not divulge his travel history and underlying medical conditions to the health workers, but the health workers were suspicious, based on his symptoms and warned to exercise caution while attending to patients,” he said.

“The health workers that attended to the patient took necessary precautions, but based on the advice of LASUTH Infectious Diseases Consultant, the doctor and nurses that had contact with the patient had been placed on isolation.”

He said there was need to increase sensitisation among the public that COVID-19 infection was not a death sentence, as volunteering information and early treatment would increase chances of recovery.

He also advised health workers to continue to maintain vigilance and ensure universal precaution while attending to patients.