There’s palpable fear and confusion at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Enugu as the Doctors, Nurses and other hospital workers at the emergency ward of the hospital might have been exposed to COVID-19 following the death of a patient in the ward as a result of the virus.
The patient; a 41-year-old man was referred to UNTH from a hospital in Lagos, admitted Saturday, May 30th at the hematology department for Cancer and fluid in the chest.
He was admitted into the emergency ward and treatment commenced.
Our source said treatment involved anti-biotics and drainage of fluid from the chest and was managed by the hematologists and cardio-thoracic surgeons.
Based on the patient’s travel history which revealed that he came from the epicenter of the pandemic in Nigeria; Lagos state, the screening for COVID-19 was requested.
Unfortunately, the patient died on Thursday June 4 and his corpse was taken home by his relations for burial after the test of his result came back positive for COVID-19 on Friday, 5th June, 2020.
It was also gathered that on the same date the patient was admitted, another patient; a woman who was also referred from Lagos and presented symptoms such as cough, fever and breathlessness was also admitted for cardiac and diabetes treatment.
Her sample was collected for COVID-19 test and her result came out positive for the pandemic. She is currently receiving treatment at the UNTH isolation center.
What is strange is that despite the death due to the coronavirus, the hospital management has refused to shutdown the hospital or fumigate the ward and possibly quarantine those involved.
The management is carrying on as though nothing happened thereby putting both the workers and patients at risk of contracting the virus.
