Lagos discharges 24 Coronavirus patients, looks for 2,450 contacts, lists affected areas

The Lagos State Government on Friday said four more Coronavirus patients have been discharged after they tested negative twice.

This bring to 24, the total number of Coronavirus patients so far discharged in Lagos State.

The state government had on Thursday discharged 11 Coronavirus patients, after having discharged nine people earlier.

Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi disclosed this at a news conference to give update on Coronavirus situation in Lagos at the Island Maternity Hospital on Lagos Island, Lagos.

He said of the four patients released, there were three female and one male, saying that one of the female was an eight-week-old baby.

Abayomi said the baby was hale and hearty with her mother.

Abayomi said the state was currently tracing 2,450 contacts of infected patients.

The commissioner added that the Coronavirus cases being handled in the state were mild except for two patients who had moderate to severe issues, but noted that their cases had not reached a point where they need ventilators.

Prof. Akin Abayomi, announced that Eti-Osa Local Government Area has the highest number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state.

He said Eti-Osa has 47 out of the 98 confirmed cases; Ikeja has 24 cases; Lagos Mainland has11 while Alimosho, Agege and Ikorodu have one case each.

According to him, out of the 98 confirmed cases in the state, 74 are still active cases, while 24 have recovered and discharged.

He noted that most of the patients fell between 30 years and 59 years, adding that two patients over 60 years and another two over 70 years were among the patients currently receiving treatment at the facility.

Abayomi said 64 per cent of the patients were males, 36 per cent females, noting that 68 per cent of the cases were imported in the first four weeks of confirmation of the index case in the state

According to him, 91 per cent of the cases are Nigerians, stating that since the closure of the air and land borders, imported cases had reduced, while the state has started experiencing local transmission of the virus.

He said most of the patients were experiencing a mild to moderate degree of the illness, adding that two of the patients were presently on oxygen.

The commissioner, said if the oxygen does not work for them, they would change it to ventilators.

According to him, there are about 20 ventilators in the state hospitals and another 20 in the private hospitals, which the state can access if the need arises.

The commissioner said the state has three molecular laboratories for COVID-19 test, and was conducting between 200 and 300 tests daily.

He said there was an ongoing training of medical personnel and volunteers, stressing that the state has adequate personal protective equipment for its staffs.

Abayomi while advising the public to continue to practice social distancing and adhere to the stay at home order toward reducing the spread of COVID-19 in the state, said there was an ongoing training of medical personnel and volunteers, stressing that the state has adequate personal protective equipment for its staffs.