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Nigeria: Mystery illness killing people in Kano. Coronavirus confirmed?? PTF says no conclusion yet

Shiloh

Shiloh

Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: https://dailypost.ng/2020/04/25/kano...thin-24-hours/

Kano: List of 20 topshots who mysteriously died within 24 hours
Published 14 hours ago
on April 25, 2020
By Wale Odunsi

These are not the best of times for Kano State in Nigeria’s North.

On Saturday, news spread that several prominent residents have dropped dead in the last 24 hours.

While some had Coronavirus symptoms, what hit others still remains unknown.

There are speculations of meningitis but residents say they cannot even explain what’s going on in the ancient city.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had shut down in the state on Wednesday and no definite date for resumption....

More: https://todaynewsafrica.com/shock-as...irus-pandemic/ and https://dailypost.ng/2020/04/26/covi...thers-in-kano/
 
Last edited by a moderator:
hat tip Shiloh

Nigeria Kano state's rise in deaths not due to coronavirus -state government


Garba Muhammad
3 Min Read
KANO, Nigeria, April 26 (Reuters) - A sharp rise in deaths in the Nigerian city of Kano was caused by complications from other health conditions and not the new coronavirus, the state government said on Sunday, citing a preliminary assessment, after a local newspaper reported what it called “mysterious” recent deaths.


more..

https://www.reuters.com/article/hea...to-coronavirus-state-government-idUSL5N2CE0LO
 
Source: https://thenationonlineng.net/more-deaths-throw-kano-into-panic/

More deaths throw Kano into panic
April 27, 2020
From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

BUK don, ex-commissioner pass on
Govt: deaths not caused by COVID -19

Kano State again lost two prominent citizens on Sunday, to “a strange disease” that has left residents in fear.

The latest victims are a former Commissioner for Education, Alhaji Aminu Yahaya and Bayero University, Kano (BUK) journalism teacher, Prof. Balarabe Maikaba.

On Saturday, more than 10 prominent indigenes of the state, including Musa Tijjani, editor of Triumph, the state-owned newspaper, died.

Other prominent citizens who died on Saturday are Prof. Ibrahim Ayagi, Dr. Musa Gwarzo, Dahiru Rabiu, Adamu Dal , Salisu Lado, Shamsiyya Mustapha, Nene Umma, Garba Fagge, Nasiru Bichi, Aliyu Dikko and Aaminu Yahaya.

Last week, the state buried 150 people who died as a result of the strange disease.

Governor Abdullahi Ganduje described the situation as “getting tougher and tougher.”

Our correspondent gathered that Yahaya and Maikaba who were both diabetic died within 10-hour interval after developing slight fever on Saturday night and Sunday morning...
 
Source: https://www.sunnewsonline.com/kanos...duge-orders-verbal-autopsy-on-dead-residents/


Kano’s mystery deaths: Gov Ganduje orders verbal autopsy on dead residents
27th April 2020

Desmond Mgboh, Kano

Kano State governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has directed the state Ministry of Health to carry out verbal autopsy of those who lost their lives to various strange ailments over the weekend.

A statement signed by Kano State Commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba, Monday said that a combined team from the state Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has been drafted to eight local government areas within the Kano Emirate Council to perform the autopsy exercise.

“I am pleased to inform the good people of Kano state that verbal autopsy to determine the real cause of the deaths of our citizens who lost their lives over the weekend has begun in earnest.

“Following the directive of the governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, health experts from the state Ministry of Health and the NCDC have been drafted to visit the families and relatives of the dead so as to trace their medical history, with a view to ascertaining what really led to their deaths,” Garba stated...
 
President Buhari locks down Kano
April 27, 2020
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved a two-week lockdown in Kano with immediate effect.

The President, who stated this in a nationwide broadcast, also announced the relaxation of lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from May 4, 2020.
“With regards to Kano, I have directed the enforcement of a total lockdown for a period of two weeks effective immediately. The Federal Government shall deploy all the necessary human, material and technical resources to support the State in controlling and containing the pandemic and preventing the risk of further spread to neighboring States,” he said...:tiphat:https://www.radionigeria.gov.ng/2020...cks-down-kano/​
 
Nigeria's Kano Probes 'Mysterious Deaths' Amid Virus Fears
AFP - Agence France Presse
April 27, 2020

...Ibrahim Musa, a doctor at AKTH, said the shuttering of the lab had caused a backlog in testing and warned that authorities could be missing "a huge number" of potential infections.

Other medical professionals pointed to drastic cuts in services at hospitals as a possible contributor to the uptick in deaths.

Kano has been under lockdown for over a week in a bid to stop the spread of the virus.

Hospitals, including private facilities, have sent patients home while pharmacies have closed, blocking access to drugs for sick residents.
......The medical worker said that Kano usually sees an increase in malaria and typhoid deaths during the hottest time of the year from April to June.

A gravedigger at the Abbatoir cemetery at Fagge area of the city told AFP there had been an "influx of the dead" in recent days.We bury several, some times dozens, every day," said the man in his 60s who has been on the job for three decades...:tiphat:https://www.barrons.com/news/nigeria...rs-01588007103
 
Kano COVID-19 centre remains shut as strange deaths continue

By Murtala Adewale (Kano) and Azimazi Momoh Jimoh (Abuja)
27 April 2020 | 4:00 am

• PDP urges probe, a presidential visit
• Panic in AKTH over Covid-19 suspect’s death
• Mother-in-law, hospital trade words

Residents of Kano have continued to live in anxiety about the strange ailment killing many people, including prominent indigenes, in the city almost on a daily basis.

By the weekend, the strange disease had killed a professor of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano, Murtala Balarabe Maikaba; Prof. Ibrahim Ayagi, owner of Hassan Gwarzo School; former Grand Khadi of Kano, Alhaji Dahiru Rabiu; and former Editor of Triumph, Mal Musa Tijjani.
....The Kano State government has ordered an investigation to ascertain whether or not the cause of the deaths is connected to the ravaging coronavirus.

Also, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for an investigation into the disturbing deaths in Kano, urging a presidential visit to the state “where no fewer than 640 citizens have reportedly died under mysterious circumstances in the last one week.”.....:tiphat:https://guardian.ng/news/kano-covid-...aths-continue/
 
Emir of Kano reacts to mysterious deaths

Monday, April 27, 2020 8:27 am |

The new Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, has revealed that mass deaths recorded in Kano State are not connected to Coronavirus outbreak.

Scores of people, including elites and prominent indigenes of the state, have died in Dala, Fagge, Tarauni, Nasarawa, Gwale and Kano Municipal within one week.

Among those already buried are academics, administrators, bankers, media practitioners and businessmen.

However, the new monarch in a statement personally signed maintained that the deaths were not COVID-19 related...:tiphat:https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2020/0...erious-deaths/
 
Hundreds of deaths recorded last week in Kano were caused by COVID-19 – Kwankwaso tells Buhari

ByDAVID CHIMA
Posted on April 27, 2020

Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has alleged that the recent deaths in Kano State were COVID-19 victims.

Kwankwaso who was a former Governor of Kano stated this in a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari earlier today.

“Permit me, Mr. President, to draw your attention to the spike in mystery deaths among the aged population in Kano State in the last couple of weeks. Hundreds of funerals have been recorded in all the cemeteries of the eight metropolitan local governments alone,” .....

We are even more concerned that if sincere and efficient machinery is not urgently put in place to understand and mitigate against this, more lives of innocent senior citizens will be lost,” he added.

The Government of Kano State had stated that the deaths were not caused by COVID-19,...

He noted that the recorded deaths of over 100 persons in Kano last week, which includes many senior citizens in the state were those who contracted the deadly disease from persons who did not know they were positive.

“Looking at the pattern elsewhere in the world where senior citizens with preexisting conditions were the main fatalities of the novel coronavirus, we are concerned that the inability to conduct tests in t...
Read his letter in full below;:tiphat:https://naijabuzz.news/2020/04/27/hu...-tells-buhari/
 
Coronavirus: Why Kano recorded many cases within two weeks – NCDC

April 27, 2020Nike Adebowale

Kano recorded a high number of confirmed COVID-19 cases because of its densely populated nature, the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Chikwe Ihekweazu, has said.

Mr Ihekweazu, while speaking at the daily Presidential Task Force (PTF) briefing on COVID-19, on Monday, said the number of cases recorded in the state within thAT period is not a surprise.

“I will like to remind everyone that during a pandemic, the risk of spread is in those towns where the population density is highest.

“We are all aware of the population density in Kano. The high number of cases we are now seeing in Kano is really not a surprise,” he said.

Since reporting its index case about two weeks ago, Kano has been the centre of controversies ranging from the rapid increase in number of confirmed cases, ‘mysterious deaths’ and the sudden halt of its only testing centre.

Kano, which currently stands as the third hardest-hit state in Nigeria, has so far reported 77 cases out of the 1,273 in Nigeria.......


Unusual deaths

The NCDC boss noted that there are concerns about the “happenings in Kano and efforts are being made to address the issues”.

“We want to address the Kano issue headlong. We are very concerned about what is happening in the state.

“But there is no magic bullet. We will continue to work hard,” he said

There was anxiety in the ancient city after the deaths of 12 prominent people within two days. There have also been reports of dozens of unexplained deaths in the city.

It is, however, uncertain if these deaths are COVID-19 related as majority had already been promptly buried with residents saying some exhibited symptoms of the disease.

Governor Abdullahi Ganduje has initiated an investigation into the deaths.

Earlier, Mr Ehanire said a fact-finding team will visit the state to find out how the state’s ministry of health can be supported to improve on surveillance, case finding, contact tracing and isolation....:tiphat:https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/...eeks-ncdc.html
 
Source: https://www.sunnewsonline.com/covid-19-kano-lab-reopens-to-commence-test-fg/

COVID-19: Kano lab reopens, to commence test – FG
27th April 2020
NCDC replies A’Ibom on COVID-19: Our results are reliable
Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

The Federal Government has said the coronavirus (COVID-19) test laboratory centre at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), in Kano has reopened after suspending operations on Monday, informing that testing has commenced immediately.

The closure of the center was due to shortage of reagents according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)...
 
Source: https://allafrica.com/stories/202004300241.html

Nigeria: Experts' Report Confirms Daily Trust Story On Kano Deaths
30 April 2020
Daily Trust (Abuja)
By Francis Arinze Iloani & Simon Echewofun Sunday

A community-based survey with strong evidence of data analytics has confirmed a recent Daily Trust exclusive report on increased mortality in Kano State within days.

Daily Trust on 21st April, 2020, reported that 150 people died in Kano in three days and were buried in three cemeteries, heightening fears that they might have died as a result of a strange ailment.

The state Commissioner of Health, Dr. Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa, in a reaction to Daily Trust enquiries had said the ministry could not immediately verify the claim but assured that it was investigating the incident and possible causes of the deaths. Governor Abdullahi Ganduje ealier denied the Daily Trust story in an interview with Chanels Television, but later admitted the development through his commissioner.

One week after the Daily Trust report, the governor in a statement through his Commissioner of Information, Muhammad Garba, confirmed the deaths, but said the preliminary report showed it was not connected to the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Nigeria has been battling COVID-19 pandemic since March with 1,532 cases recorded as at Tuesday, among which 45 deaths occurred. Kano recorded 115 cases with one death, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

The survey, which was conducted by an Applied Mathematician and Data Analyst, at the Department of Mathematics, Yusuf Maitama Sule University in Kano, Yusuf Yau Gambo, was reviewed by two experts in the field of medicine, along with a clinical perspective provided to further clarify the survey result.

While the first reviewer, Dr. Auwal Abubakar is a Medical and Public Health Professional at the University of California Berkeley, USA, the other is Audu Liman, the Chief of Party, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) SENSE Project at the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola.

The report acknowledged multiple stories done by Daily Trust on the deaths. It said: "After the first initial reports of the reported deaths, Daily Trust reported on April 25 that the Kano State Government denied the mysterious deaths being recorded within the state.

"These concerns have reportedly intensified with the multiple deaths of prominent personalities in the state including six highly regarded professors," it noted.

Analysis of the report's finding based on data obtained responses within the affected Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state was quite revealing.

Symptoms typical with COVID-19...
 
Source: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/covid-19-the-wicked-state-kano-and-the-age-of-citizen-action.html

COVID-19: The wicked state, Kano and the age of citizen action By Jibrin IBRAHIM | May 1, 2020 0:43 AM

The most important universal shock that has flowed from the COVID-19 pandemic is that most governments in the world were unable and often unwilling to address the crisis in a manner that protected peoples’ health, welfare and lives. They have shown very poor governance abilities but demonstrated great skills in lying to the people. Their concerns have been at best self-serving and in most cases cynical if not outright wicked. In most advanced countries, the most vulnerable segment of society, the elderly, whether in old people’s homes or in their own homes were denied testing for COVID-19 because there was a cynical, even if unstated decision, that most of them would die anyway, but also that they would clog the hospitals beds which should cater for younger more productive segments of the population...

...Citizens, NGOs and journalists started camping in graveyards and interviewing grave diggers and it became clear that not only was there a spike, but that the death rate was increasing. It was in this context that the Kano State government changed its position and admitted that there was indeed a spike in deaths but then explained that it was not COVID-19 but the four common diseases of diabetes, hypertension, meningitis and acute malaria. Of course, these diseases were endemic and greatly affect elderly people but the argument that it was not the virus was simply silly because it was already known that people with pre-existing conditions die quickly with COVID-19 infections and testing was not happening so the best they could have said was that they did not know.

It was in this context that three young female doctors from Kano, Maryam Nasir MBBS MSC; Zainab Mahmoud MD DTMH and Khadija Rufai MD MHA decided to investigate the matter. They used the verbal autopsy method, used by the World Health Organisation (WHO) during the Ebola outbreak. They disseminated a message via social media encouraging people who have heard of deaths in the metropolis to report. They gathered two sets of data – from direct family members of the deceased and the second data set from indirect sources (friends, neighbours or relatives of the deceased). Over the span of 48 hours, they received reports of 183 deaths in Kano metropolis that occurred between April 18 to April 25, 2020. Following the interviews, they obtained direct information on 51 deaths and their findings indicated a trend of febrile and respiratory illness that progresses to death within one to two weeks of predominantly elderly people with underlying medical conditions. The findings mirrored severe COVID-19 cases reported around and made clear the evidence for urgent investigation about community spread of COVID-19 in Kano.

It is important to point out that with the lockdown, most private clinics in the state shut down and those that remained open were not allowed to admit patients or refused to admit them fearing contamination as they had no personal protection equipment and many were simply afraid of being infected. The Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital and the three other general hospitals were also allowing access only to emergency services so many people with different medical conditions could not get access to adequate medical attention worsening the situation. Meanwhile, the lockdown did not work well as kids were playing football in their neighbourhoods watched by large crowds of adults. Friday congregation prayers were stopped in mosques but other congregation prayers went on and there was clearly a limited understanding of what physical distancing meant. This meant the spread of the disease was not adequately curtailed.

When testing for COVID-19 began in Kano, cases went up from one to 74 in five days. The index case in Plateau State was a visitor from Kano and when Kano “deported” almajirai back to their states of origin, (there is another issue whether Nigerian citizens can be deported to another state), five were found to have COVID-19. The period of denial by the state government cost time that could have been used more constructively to combat the disease. It was interesting that Kano was second state to close it borders to stop importation of #Covid-19 from neighbouring states only for us to find out that the state was among the exporters...
 
Kano Mysterious Deaths Caused by Coronavirus – Official

ByPhilip I. Thomas
Posted on May 3, 2020
The mysterious deaths recorded in Kano state, Nigeria, in recent times is said to be caused by coronavirus, an official of the Presidential Task Force Committer on COVID-19 has confirmed.

Over 640 persons, including prominent figures, reportedly died in the previous week in Kano from previously unidentified illness. The illness has now been confirmed to be Coronavirus.

Dr. Nasiru Sani Gwarzo, leader of the Presidential Task Force Committee on COVID-19 said that the virus was the cause of the mysterious deaths recorded in Kano State in recent days. ....:tiphat:https://reportafrique.com/africa/nig...irus-official/
 
Source: https://www.sunnewsonline.com/ptf-denies-reports-linking-kano-deaths-to-covid-19/

PTF denies reports linking Kano deaths to COVID-19
4th May 2020

Desmond Mgbo, Kano

The team leader of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19, Dr Nasiru Gwarzo, has denied media reports crediting the recent deaths occurring in Kano to COVID-19.

Media reports on Sunday in Kano have quoted him as claiming that the mysterious deaths recorded in the state were as a result of COVID-19

Dr. Gwarzo told the BBC Hausa service on Monday morning that he was misquoted, adding that what he said had no link to the reports making the rounds.

“More than 80% of what I said was on the collection of samples from people and how the disease affects individuals and not on the issue of the mysterious deaths,” he stated.

He further stated that the committe was still investigating and nothing had been confirmed yet...
 
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