It was a case of mixed fortunes for Nigeria on the COVID-19 pandemic on Wednesday. While 34 patients were confirmed negative of the virus and were allowed to leave isolation centres in the different parts of the country, the country, however, lost a medical doctor and another patient to the pandemic in Lagos.

The said news of the death of the first medical doctor in Nigeria to the pandemic was announced by the Lagos chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).

The Association said the medical doctor, Chugbo Emeka, passed away at the isolation centre of Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH.

The doctor contracted the virus during the treatment of  a covid-19 positive patient in his private hospital, his friends and professional colleagues said in their tributes to him.

“Dr Chugbo was a former senior resident of O&G in LUTH who left to set up his private practice in Lagos. He contracted the virus from privately managing a known covid19 patient. He later fell ill and was receiving care at his hospital.

“When his condition deteriorated, he was referred to LUTH in severe respiratory distress. I remember Dr Chugbo was a known asthmatic. He was commenced on drugs but he did not really improved. He passed on Wednesday morning 15th April,” one of his professional colleagues, Dr Lawal Oyeneyin said.

The Lagos State Government had also earlier on Wednesday announced the death of another COVID-19 related patient, barely 24 hours after the sixth death was recorded.

The State Ministry of Health made this known through its verified Twitter account.

The ministry, however, did not give further details about the deceased sex, age, nationality and medical history.

But on the brighter side, further progress were made in the treatment of those who had contracted the virus in the country as 34 COVID-19 patients were released from isolation centres in Lagos, Osun as well as the Federal Capital Territory, FCT after being confirmed negative of the virus.

While 16 of the patients were discharged in Lagos, six and 12 patients respectively were discharged in Osun and Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

In Lagos Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the 16 discharged COVID-19 patients were 14 males and two females, including three foreigners- British, Chinese and Polish citizens.

According to him, 14 of the discharged patients were treated at the Mainland Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba, and two at Onikan Isolation Centre.

He said that the patients had fully recovered and tested negative twice consecutively to the virus, hence their release from the isolation centres.

“This brings the number of patients successfully managed and discharged from our facilities to 85.

“As our frontline health workers record successes in the battle against #COVID19, we are duty bound as citizens to break the chain of transmission of the infection by staying safe at home, practicing social distancing and adopting the highest possible personal hygiene,” Sanwo-Olu said.