The Yobe State Government has made it clear that 90 percent of strange deaths in different communities across the state were not caused by coronavirus.
The state commissioner for Health, Dr. Mohammed Lawan Gana, who spoke today, May 12 at a media briefing in Damaturu, th state capital, said that the preliminary report of the investigative team constituted by the state government had confirmed that 90 percent of the mass deaths had no “multiple case definition symptoms” of coronavirus.
According to him, the team arrived at the result after examining and interviewing relatives of the deceased persons and medical personnel who treated them at the hospital.
The commissioner said that 471 deaths were recorded from last week of April to second week of May in Potiskum, Nguru, Gashu’a and Damaturu, the state capital.
“At least 57 percent of the deaths had an underlying chronic illness which included fever, hypertension, diabetes, renal disease, maternal mortality and accident.”
“57 percent of people that died were older people within the aged bracket of 50 years and above and a majority of them were men.
“Relatives of 16 out of the 471 deceased had similar symptoms and all the 16 were investigated and referred to facility. Out of the number, three met the case definition of COVID-19.”.
