Honourable Commissioner for Health of Lagos State, Professor Akin Abayomi has promised to discharge the index case diagnosed with the deadly coronavirus.
Addressing journalists at a press conference, the Commissioner noted that the Italian man has been responding to treatment. However, he was still secreting a small amount of virus which means that he is potentially still contagious.
"Our tests suggest that any moment from now, his immune system will clear the infection. The moment we pick that up, we will be looking for a second negative. 48 hours if it is repeated and he is still negative, this means he will be deemed to be non-contagious and cannot transmit the virus. He may pose no danger to the community at that point.
"We are getting very close to discharging the index case because we believe he is no longer contagious and we want to make sure he poses no threat to anybody in the community. Or his community or airline he would use to go back to Europe," Abayomi said.
? The positive contact of the index case has tested negative to #COVID19 and has been discharged - @ProfAkinAbayomi @jidesanwoolu @drobafemihamzat @NigeriaGov @NCDCgov @Chikwe_I @EpidAlert @Mr_JAGs @lagospedia @aproko_doctor @followlasg @Fmohnigeria @Oreoluwa_Finnih pic.twitter.com/CmmKdTcrpB
— LSMOH (@LSMOH) March 13, 2020
Regarding the case of the contact with the Italian man, the Health Commissioner assured all present that the positive contact has tested negative to the virus.
"The positive contact was positive twice and subsequently turned negative and has no symptoms at the moment. He is in fact clear after two consecutive negative tests. He is already discharged or on his way to be being discharged," Abayomi stated.
#COVID19Lagos Updates
— LSMOH (@LSMOH) March 13, 2020
? Index case remains on admission and perfectly well but the only reason we are keeping him is because our tests confirm he is still secreting small amount of virus which means that he is potentially still contagious - @ProfAkinAbayomi@NCDCgov @WHO pic.twitter.com/YWDEqNMz9D
