• Friday, March 29, 2024
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Italian who brought Coronavirus to Nigeria discharged from hospital

Italian

The Italian who imported the first case of coronavirus into Nigeria is savouring his new status as being virus free and he is thankful for the life-saving care he received in Nigeria.

The man was discharged from the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, Lagos Friday evening and he posed for photographs with the hospital staff joined by the Lagos Health Commissioner. The health team was extremely delighted to bid the patient farewell.

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governor, thank the team for the exceptional service and said the patient donated one unit of white blood (plasma) that would be used in treating other patients.

“The index patient consented to donating one unit of white blood ( plasma) before he was discharged today. The blood plasma is rich in antibody proteins that target #COVID19 virus.

“The white blood plasma is frozen in our Bio-bank and will be useful in handling new cases. The blood plasma will be beneficial for the treatment of new patients in the absence of a defined therapeutic drug for #COVID19 yet” the governors said.

The man flew into Nigeria from Milan, Italy, on February 24. He had reportedly lodged at a hotel close to Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos, before moving to Lafarge Africa Plc, Ewekoro in Ogun state, the next day.

He fell sick on the third day of his stay in the country and tested positive for the disease two days after.

Subsequently, 39 people who had contact with him were quarantined but one of them tested positive for the disease while others were discharged but the Nigerian who contracted the disease later recovered.

Nigeria currently has 12 confirmed cases of the disease.