The management of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Calabar, has said that there is no case of COVID-19 in the hospital.
It, however, confirmed that a patient was admitted into the designated isolation centre in the hospital.
The Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (C-MAC) of the hospital, Prof. Ogbu Ngim, told newsmen in Calabar that a patient was brought into the casualty department of the hospital with some upper respiratory tract infections.
Ngim said that the patient was neither sneezing nor having fever, adding that the person did not show any of the symptoms relating to COVID-19.
He, however, said that standard protocols had to be observed.
“As you know, in this period, even if you have ordinary malaria, people will think it is COVID-19, which is not correct.
“However, we observed what we call universal precaution on any case and she was taken to an isolation centre.
“We have followed the universal precaution and it is important to note that before you label a case as being COVID-19, there are protocols to follow.
“Those protocols have 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 in any case that you think maybe.
“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 have done”, he said.
Ngim insisted that there was no recorded case of COVID-19 in Cross River as at March 31, adding that appropriate steps had been taken while awaiting 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.
