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Judex Okoro, Calabar
The Management of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) has stated unequivocally that there is no confirmed case of COVID-19 in Cross River state.
Reacting on behalf of the management to the rumour making the rounds that a COVID-19 patient was admitted at the UCTH isolation Centre at the early hours of Tuesday, the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (C-MAC) of the Hospital, Professor Ogbu Ngim, told journalists in Calabar, that the centre has not recorded any single case of the pandemic.
But he revealed that a patient suspected to have upper respiratory tract infections- ough was brought into the casualty department on Tuesday morning.
According to him, the patient was not sneezing, neither did she had fever nor exhibit any of the symptoms that will say this is COVID-19.
Explaining, Prof Ngim said: “You know in this period even if you have malaria people will think it is COVID-19 which is not correct. But to be more cautious, we observe what we call universal precaution on any case that you think maybe and she was taken to the Isolation center.
“We have followed the universal precaution and it is important to note that before you labelled a case as being COVID-19, they are protocols to follow. Those protocols are yet to be exhausted.
“But for now, we do not have a positive confirmatory test. As we speak, samples have been taken. We will await the result of the Investigation or the test.
“We have observed what we call universal precaution on any case that you think maybe. This particular case is very unlikely to be, but at the same time it is better to air on the side of caution and protocols and that is what we did.”
He said the UCTH management is in touch with the state government and all task force and team collaborating following the outbreak of COVID-19 to ensure the state remains totally free of the virus.
He maintained that there is no need to panic, warning those in the habit of posting unconfirmed information on social media to refrain from such practices particularly at times like this as it is capable of creating unnecessary tension and fear.
