Odahiekwu Ogunde
The Vice-Chairman of Bayelsa State Task Force on Covid-19 and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Inodu Akpoku, says the state recorded one death from COVID-19 and nine fresh cases of the deadly virus.
He said in a statement on Monday that the fresh infections brought the total number of confirmed cases in the state to 21.
Akpoku also said two of the patients were in critical condition.
He added that six out of the nine fresh cases were contacts of previously confirmed cases while three were not epidemiologically linked to any of the previously confirmed cases.
Akpoku also said the state had discharged six patients as of Sunday after their repeat tests turned negative twice, bringing the total number of discharged patients to nine with eleven active cases.
He said: “On Monday, the NCDC in its usual manner announced 307 new confirmed COVID -19 cases. Nine of these cases were samples from Bayelsa. These results are coming from a backlog of 62 samples sent to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital COVID -19 laboratory last week.
“Two of these fresh unlinked cases are critically ill and were on admission in our public hospitals for other underlying illnesses (one had undergone sessions of dialysis) even before samples were collected for COVID -19 testing at the instances of the consulting teams in collaboration with the state COVID -19 Rapid Response Team. The third unlinked case is a health care professional.
“All the nine new cases have since been evacuated for further treatment at our isolation facilities. All their contacts are being listed and adequately followed up including necessary environmental decontamination. Samples have and are still being collected from their high-risk contacts while they have all been counselled on self-quarantine. Risk communication and community engagement are ongoing.
“This makes a total of nine cases that have been discharged from our isolation facilities. Currently, we have eleven active cases of COVID -19 in the state. All cases except the two cases who were previously on admission for other underlying illnesses are in stable clinical conditions.
“Unfortunately, we recorded a death last week. The patient who was initially responding to treatment suddenly developed severe shortness of breath.”
He said all attempts to save him were unsuccessful in spite of the intensive and delicate procedures that were administered by the medical personnel.
He noted that the deceased had been buried by the Bayelsa State COVID -19 Safe Burial team and witnessed by relatives, friends and colleagues.
He further said, “We discharged three cases during the past week. One case was discharged on Saturday, and the two other cases (including the doctor) were discharged just yesterday after all their repeat tests returned negative and patients’ clinical statuses had met other criteria for discharge.”
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