There is tension among residents in the suburbs of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja following the discovery of 12 new positive cases of COVID-19 in Mabushi village.
The discovery has raised the fear of community transmission of the pandemic among residents of Abuja and the suburbs.
FG’s warning
National Coordinator Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19, Dr. Sani Aliyu, had alerted Nigerians that cases from community transmission were increasing over and above the imported ones.
He specifically urged Nigerians to obey the lockdown, saying community testing was not only costly but also ineffective.
He therefore urged Nigerians to self-isolate to ensure effective contact tracing and curb the spread of the pandemic.
FCT
On Saturday, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced fresh 49 cases with 12 coming from the FCT.
It was however gathered that majority of the cases were from Mabushi, thus causing some fear and anxiety among residents of the capital territory that community transmission may have finally berthed.
The fear was further worsened by the discovery of another case at Gishiri village, another low-income but densely populated community, close to the highbrow Mitama District.
Blueprint gathered that none of the identified cases had any recent history of foreign travel or coming in contact with a returnee.
“We have been warned to stay in-door and ensure self-distancing among other rules, but our people won’t just obey. Community transmission is very dangerous and we all must take things serious,” said Katherine, a resident of Mabushi.
Raising similar fear, Binta, a Kubwa resident was of the view that “we should behave ourselves and do things the right way. Compared to what has been happening in other lands, we are very lucky and should not overreach our luck and take God for granted.”
“With Mabushi and Gishiri now on the NCDC radar as being infected, who knows what will become of the other suburbs and even the metropolitan Abuja. Who and where is next? This is a serious dilemma that is giving one serious worries and concerns,” added Binta who just relocated to Kubwa.
Epidemiologist
Expressing similar worry, an epidemiologist in the FCT Administration who spoke under anonymity, said the FCTA had commenced “community active case search.”
He said: “Due to the fear of community transmission, we had embarked on community active case search. We focused on Mpape due to its proximity to Maitama where we had a lot of cases. Then we went to Gishiri. We got one positive case. What is worrisome is the situation in Mabushi where we have gotten 12 positive cases already.”
The source further said officials were working round the clock to trace all contacts related to the identified cases, and warned residents against trying to circumvent the lockdown rules.
The expert described the COVID-19 pandemic as “an existential threat which must be tackled by all means possible.”
He however commended the FCT minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, for giving health workers in the territory the necessary support to fully discharge their duties.
While FCT had 81 confirmed cases as at Sunday evening, there were 56 active cases, 23 discharged and two deaths.
Borno
In a related development, Chairman of the Committee on Prevention and Control of COVID -19 pandemic in Borno state and the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Usman Umar Kadafur told newsmen Sunday that the committee was awaiting a complimentary test by the NCDC on a suspected ‘case’ at the University of Maidugiri Teaching Hospital (UMTH).
The case, it was further gathered, was tested in death by the hospital authority and found to be positive for the pandemic.
He spoke after a three-hour closed door meeting with members of the committee and collaborating partners to review the situation reports in the fight against the disease in the state.
The deputy governor said the committee had put all machineries in place to ensure the pandemic didn’t spread within the state capital and its environs.
He further said there was no plan for total shutdown of the state capital Maiduguri city, but advised the people to adhere to the rules and orders given to them by the government on how to prevent the spread of the disease.
Kadafur noted that whatever the circumstances, there were procedures and technicalities involved in testing COVID-19 which were in stages, and that the final result must come from the NCDC either in Abuja or Lagos.
The committee chair however urged the public not to be panic and continue to maintain the rules as laid down by experts to prevent the spread of the pandemic.
He called for restraints on the part of media in rushing to report stories about the pandemic, saying there was need for caution.
Witnesses’ account
But some nurses and out-patients who shared the same ward with the deceased suspected case, told journalists that “actually, we were there when he was brought in to the ward.”
Speaking differently, they said: “We were here with the patient and a doctor called Dr. Ahmed, who was checking him regularly. We even had a misunderstanding with the doctor when he was pressurizing us to accord him some level of respect because he works with the MSF.
“They were busy treating him up until the period he gave up the ghost. We could understand actually what was going on and why such priority and attention was given to him by his colleagues MSF and UMTH staff.
“”Even our CMD and other consultants were all around going up and down in the matter and trying to see how a solution could be proffered. The dead patient was tested in our present and his remains was still kept at the mortuary up till now. It has not been given to his family as alleged or rumoured in town that the families of the deceased took his corpse away.
“We are now in God’s hand. They told all of us to remain here, that we should not move an inch out of the ward or hospital, that they will come and test us also.
“So, please join us in prayers. Only God can save us. The whole issue is now confusing with hidden agenda hence a big NGO on humanitarian activities in the state is directly affected or involved. The dead patient is their staff, MSF and was in Pulka before they brought him in few days ago to UMTH.
“And instead of them to take him to the Isolation Unit directly, they did not. Rather, they brought him directly into the medical Ward II which was dangerous. Although, in a statement, MSF claimed ignorance of his infection and said they never knew he was a suspicious COVID-19 patient till after his death when he was suspected and his corpse was tested and turned out to be positive for.COVID-19. “
