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Coronavirus pandemic

First case of coronavirus documented in Nigeria

The Nation daily informed citing medical officials that the infected man is an Italian citizen who arrived from Milan

A passenger demonstrates an illustration of the novel coronavirus on a cell phone EPA-EFE/ALEX PLAVEVSKI

A passenger demonstrates an illustration of the novel coronavirus on a cell phone

© EPA-EFE/ALEX PLAVEVSKI

PRETORIA, February 28. /TASS/. Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health informed of the first documented case of novel coronavirus in the country in a message published on Twitter on Friday.

"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 message informs.

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

The Nation daily informed citing medical officials that the infected man is an Italian citizen who arrived from Milan. "The case is an Italian citizen who entered Nigeria on the 25th of February from Milan, Italy, for a brief business visit," Lagos state Commissioner for Health Akin Abayomi stated. "He fell ill on the 26th February and was transferred to Lagos State Biosecurity Facilities for isolation and testing. COVID-19 infection 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," Akin Abayomi added.

The government of the Lagos state, populated by 21 mln people, has been strengthening measures to avoid further spread of the virus, the official noted. "We have immediately activated the State Emergency Operations Centre to respond to this case and implement firm control measures," he said.

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