Amanbra: ‘I don’t have Coronavirus’- Covid-19 index case insists

PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Following the announcement by the National Center for Disease Control, NCDC on Friday that Anambra State has one index case of Covid -19, the entire state has been panic.

The panic stemmed from stories making the round that the index case had been in his town, Adazienu in Anaocha Local Government Area of the state for more than seven days and mingling with people.

In a voice message by a concerned indigene of Adazienu, the country home of the index case, he claimed that the patient, who is well to do had been to several meetings in the village since his arrival to the community.

He expressed worry that many unsuspecting villagers, including those that go to him for one favour or the other may have contracted the dreaded pandemic.

His words, “i am very positive that up to 100 natives of Adazienu have contracted this disease. This man has been  in Adazienu since past one week now. He attended town union meeting, held meeting with members of the board of a community bank here and many other people that go him for favour, including his minstrel.

“People may say I am being unnecessarily worried, but I have to speak and sound this warning for people to know what is happening. Stay clear from anybody from Adazienu and wear your masks always.

“Effort should be made to trace all this people and quarantine them before this thing wipe our community out. I plead with to stay at home and avoid attending any occasion in Adazienu, no matter the type, adhere to frequent washing of hands and using sanitizers.”

Information has it that the man who returned from the United Kingdom found his way to the state before the general lockdown was declared by the state government.

He was said to have visited St Joseph’s hospital Adazinukwu with his son but following doctor’s suspicion that he was showing symptoms of Coronavirus, he was referred to Regina Ceili Hospital in Awka where clinical test confirmed that he has been infected by the virus.

It was also gathered that the man had refused to disclose his travel history to the medical officials at the hospital but rather demanded that he should be discharged, even while he was being treated for malaria following his high fever.

But, using extra effort, his son spilled the information.

Though the state government have waded into the matter and taken the index case to one of its Protective Care Center in Onitsha, the patient insisted that he doesn’t have the dreaded virus.

In a telephone interview with our correspondent, the man in anger expressed disgust that the state government picked and dumped him in an isolation center in Onitsha without food, care or medications.

His words, “i don’t have Coronavirus. Government is claiming that I have COVID-19. Let them come here and conduct test.

“My ailment has been diagnosed in the hospital and I have been treated and discharged. They conducted tests. That was seven days ago and I was discharged yesterday (Friday, April 10).

Later on they came with some papers and said that I tested positive to Covid-19.. Is it their father or their mother that tested positive?

“I have been here since 3:00a.m. I was not given any food or water. I was not also given any treatment. What type of government is that? Is an individual a government? It is the masses that are government. I have been here since 3 O’clock in the morning. And I am here with my child.

“The true situation is that the government of Anambra State wants to kill me. I have no business with them. I am in the hospital. I don’t know about Coronavirus.”

He however refused to give a hint of the ailment that took him to the hospital but rather hushed, “I said if you want to ask me questions, come to where I am in Onitsha so that I can see you. I don’t want to talk to anybody again (on phone). If anybody wants to ask me questions, let the person come here and see me. I am angry.”

Confirming the development the Public Relations Officer of the Anambra state ministry of health Mrs Ebele Ego said that the COVID 19 medical team has commenced investigations on the date the patient was treated and those that treated him.

She said, “Even the family members and those he had contact with before the confirmation would also be checked and placed on self isolation for the mandatory two weeks.”,

Efforts to get the reaction of the state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr. C Don Adinuba failed as his phone line was mostly busy.

Meanwhile, the state government is intensifying efforts to ensure a total lock down in the state.

As at the time of filing this report, the task force set up by Governor Willie Obian to ensure adherence to the directives were on the prowl chasing away Newspaper vendors.

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