August 20, 2014 – The Lagos State Government has said that five new cases of Ebola Virus Disease were discovered on Tuesday in Lagos while one Liberian previously in isolation was discharged, bringing the total number of EVD patients in isolation at the Mainland Hospital, Yaba to six.
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris made the revelation at a press conference he addressed with his counterpart in Information and Strategy, Mr. Remi Ibirogba, that of Special Duties, Dr. Wale Ahmed and Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Alhaji Hakeem Bello.
He said the Liberian had tested positive to EVD but was cleared after the mandatory 21 days and has to be discharged. He explained that out of the five new cases, three had primary contact with Sawyer while the other two were secondary contacts.
He said that 62 suspects under observation who had secondary contact with Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian-American, who died July 20, in Lagos of EVD are due to be discharged today having concluded the mandatory two day follow-up.
He explained that those discharged so far have been properly counseled adding that it is not possible for them to develop same strain of the EVD that brought them to the isolation centre. He however did not rule out the possibility of developing EVD from four other strains out of the five that exist.
He insisted that there are no specific treatment for those infected with Ebola but that it varies depending on symptoms that the patient presents adding that the level of survival depends on immunity and that the immunity of a 27 year old person is better equipped to fight the disease than a 50 year old person.
He said the state government is still following up on 213 contacts. He however paid tribute to the late Senior Consultant /Endocrinologist of First Consultant Hospital, Dr. Stella Shade Ameyo Adadevoh, stressing that her doggedness and commitment to duty saw her personally reviewing the case even when Sawyer was earlier seen by a doctor.
