2,860 out of 14,356 cases test positive for COVID-19, says Oyo government

The Oyo State Task Force on COVID-19 yesterday said the state had tested 14,356 samples out of which 2,860 were positive.The Co-ordinator of the COVID-19 Isolation Centres, Prof. Temitope Alonge, who disclosed this, said the state had 1,420 recovered cases while there were 31 deaths.

Alonge said that the isolation centres run by the state had recorded zero fatality since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the state in March.He said: “As 31 deaths have been recorded in the state since the index case of the virus was discovered in March, none of the fatalities took place in the isolation centres set up by the state government.

“The fatalities occurred at some private and other medical facilities outside those run by the state government and the deaths were due to co-morbidity or underlying ailments in the deceased.”

The co-ordinator, who noted that the zero fatality recorded at the state’s isolation centres was due to the holistic approach adopted by medical personnel managing COVID-19 in the state, robust nutrition and exercise regimen, said that the medical personnel at the state’s isolation centres regularly embarked on a comprehensive assessment of patients and proper management of any underlying ailment.

“Treatment at the state’s isolation centres actually commence very urgently and we pay attention to every complaint of the patients. Our healthcare workers have been very prudent and meticulous because most times when these patients come in and claim they have no symptoms, we take time to check them and ask detailed questions.

“So, we found out that in checking them, many of them that claim they do not have symptoms actually have. So, we address those symptoms and we have added all manner of care to address their symptoms. The symptoms they think they don’t have or they think can be ignored, when they present them to us, we pay attention and deal with them.

“We have a wide range of patients; the average range is 34. Also, we have taken delivery of a child at the Olodo Infectious Disease Centre before and the baby is COVID-19 free and the mother too tested negative. As I speak, there are two pregnant women and one nursing mother there.

“We have every category of patients: millionaires, the poor, bank managers, directors, deputy directors of parastatals, government agencies. So, it is a mixed thing. Patients spend an average range of 10 days or at most, three weeks. Any patient that is spending more than three weeks has other problems,” he said.