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Nigerian health officials have confirmed the country’s first case of coronavirus in Lagos state.

That makes Nigeria the first West African country to record the virus and the third case to be recorded in Africa.

In a statement posted on its Twitter account Nigeria’s health ministry said “The Federal Ministry of Health has confirmed a coronavirus(Covid-19) case in Lagos State Nigeria.

“The case which was confirmed on 27/02/2020 is the first case to be reported in Nigeria since the beginning of the outbreak in China in January 2020, the statement added.

The Federal Ministry of Health has confirmed a coronavirus(Covid-19) case in Lagos State Nigeria. The case which was confirmed on 27/02/2020 is the first case to be reported in Nigeria since the beginning of the outbreak in China in January 2020 @WHO @BBCWorld #CoronaVirusUpdates pic.twitter.com/uF79NYzvAz — Federal Ministry of Health, NIGERIA (@Fmohnigeria) February 27, 2020

Who is the patient?

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The health ministry released further statement with more details saying “The case is an Italian citizen who works in Nigeria and returned from Milan, Italy to Lagos, Nigeria on the 25th of February 2020.

He was confirmed by the Virology Laboratory of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, part of the Laboratory Network of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.

The patient is clinically stable, with no serious symptoms, and is being managed at the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, Lagos.”

The statement added that “We have already started working to identify all the contacts of the patient, since he entered Nigeria.”

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The health ministry advised “all Nigerians should take care of their health and maintain hand and respiratory hygiene to protect themselves and others, including their own families.”

The patient is clinically stable and is being managed at the Infectious Disease Hospital Yaba We assure all Nigerians that measures are in place to respond appropriately. We’re working with @LSMOH to identify contacts & initiate response accordinglyhttps://t.co/2eCnHCDFrk https://t.co/XmUIDKQrtz — NCDC (@NCDCgov) February 27, 2020

More than 78,000 cases of the respiratory disease have been recorded including three cases in Africa so far.

Coronavirus is fast spreading across the world with the rate of spread getting faster outside of China, where the virus first broke out.

Victims of coronavirus often suffer from respiratory illness and this new strain of coronavirus was not previously identified in humans.

The virus is a global public health emergency, according to the World Health Organisation and there are concerns it could soon turn out into a global pandemic.

Source: Africafeeds.com