OVER 50% OF UNUSUAL RISE IN DEATHS MAY BE ATTRIBUTED TO COVID-19 – MINISTER OF HEALTH
The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, on Monday, said research indicates that over 50 percent of the unusual deaths in Kano during the month of April may be attributed to COVID-19.
Ehanire revealed this at the daily COVID-19 Presidential Task Force (PTF) briefing in Abuja.
Recall that in April, gravediggers in Kano raised concerns that they were burying a higher than usual number of bodies.
There was an unusual increase in the death toll with the State recording 640 deaths within that period.
On April 26th, 2020, Eons Intelligence reported that authorities attributed the cause of the unusual deaths to malaria, pneumonia, and meningitis. However, new discoveries show they are as a result of covid-19 infections.
READ MORE: STRANGE DEATHS IN KANO LINKED TO MALARIA, NOT CORONAVIRUS - COMMISSIONER
The Minister said he received the report of the investigation from the Ministerial Task Team (MMT) sent to Kano.
Ehanire said the team confirmed from graveyard records, that a total of 979 deaths were recorded in 8 Local Government Areas in the State at a rate of 43 deaths per day.
He added that by the beginning of May, the death rate had reduced to normal, which are 11 deaths per day. The verbal autopsy revealed that about 56 percent of deaths had occurred at home while 38 percent were in a hospital.
“With circumstantial evidence as all to go by, investigation suggests that between 50-60 percent of the deaths may have been triggered by or due to COVID-19, in the face of pre-existing ailments. Most fatalities were over 65 years of age,” the Health Minister said.
According to the NCDC, as of June 10th, 2020, Kano has recorded 1,020 cases of COVID-19, making them the second epicentre of the virus in Nigeria.
Of the 1,020 cases, 473 are active and are on admission, 497 discharges have been made, and 50 deaths have been recorded.
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