Investigations conducted by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid-19 revealed that up to 60 percent, of the 979 mysterious deaths reported in Kano state mid April this year was caused by coronavirus, Nigeria’s Minister of health, Osagie Ehanire said on Monday.
The report is coming almost two months after what was reported as ‘strange deaths’ ravaged the populated city, claiming lives of quite a number of its prominent citizens.
The number of strange deaths which indicate about 587 in the state almost doubles the number of coronavirus fatality in the entire country recorded at 354 as at Sunday midnight.
Ehanire spoke at the daily PTF briefing in Abuja.
“With regard to unexplained deaths in Kano which occurred in April, the team confirmed from graveyard records, that a total of 979 deaths were recorded in 8 municipal LGA in the state at a rate of 43 deaths per day, with a peak in the second week of April. By the beginning of May, the death rate had reduced to the 11 deaths per day it used to be.
“The verbal autopsy revealed that about 56% of deaths had occurred at home while 38% were in a hospital.
“With circumstantial evidence as all to go by, investigation suggests that between 50-60% of the deaths may have been triggered by or due to COVID-19, in the face of preexisting ailments.
“Most fatalities were over 65 years of age,” the Minister stated in his speech.
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