UCTH admits patient to Isolation Center, insist no Covid-19 case in Cross River State

(George's Print)

UCTH admits patient to Isolation Center, insist no Covid-19 case in Cross River State

The Management of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) has refuted reports of a case of COVID-19 recorded in the hospital.

The Management however, confirmed that a patient has been admitted into the designated isolation center in the hospital.

Speaking on behalf of the UCTH management, the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (C-MAC) of the Hospital, Prof. Ogbu Ngim, said they we were made to understand that a patient was brought into the Casualty department of the hospital who had some upper respiratory tract infections.

Ngim said that the patient was not sneezing or had fever or any of the symptoms that reveals it was Covid-19.

"As you know, in this period, even if you have  malaria, people will think it is  Covid-19 which is not correct.

"However, we observed what we call universal precaution on any case that you think may be 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; we do not have a positive confirmatory test. As we speak, samples have been taken; we only observed what we call universal precaution on any case that you think may be.

"This particular case is very unlikely to be, but at the same time it is better to be on the side of caution than not apply the protocols. That is what we did", he said.

He insisted that there was no recorded case of Covid-19 in Cross River as of today, adding that appropriate steps have been taken while they await the result of the investigation or the test.

He called on people to refrain from the practice of posting unconfirmed reports on social media, particularly at times like this.

"My advice is; let those who are wishing that we are visited in Cross River with the Covid-19 virus, be positive in their thinking.

"Rather let us all pray that the state will remain free of the pandemic. Let our mindset not be it is there, it is here”, he said.