Ebola: Another Lagos nurse (Newly Wedded) tested positive

Another Lagos nurse has tested positive to Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) 22 days after the first case of the virus was recorded.


The newly wedded nurse was among the people that had direct contact to the importer of the virus into Nigeria, the late Liberian man, Patrick Sawyer.


According to the Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, her husband is among the 177 people placed under surveillance.

He revealed that nine have so far developed EVD, thus bringing the total number of cases in Nigeria to ten — two of these two have died — that is the Liberian and the nurse while eight are alive and currently on treatment.

Patrick Sawyer's Final Hours in Lagos

Barely 24 hours before his death, Patrick Sawyer had a rather strange - and in the words of medical and diplomatic sources here, “Indiscipline” encounter with nurses and health workers at First Consultants Hospital in Obalende, one of the most crowded parts of Lagos, a population of some 21 million inhabitants, FrontPageAfrica has learned.




Looking to get to the bottom of Sawyer’s strange ailment on the Asky Airline flight, which Sawyer transferred on in Togo, hospital officials say, he was tested for both malaria and HIV AIDS.

However, when both tests came back negative, he was then asked whether he had made contact with any person with the Ebola Virus, to which Sawyer denied. Sawyer’s sister, Princess had died of the deadly virus on Monday, July 7, 2014 at the Catholic Hospital in Monrovia.

On Friday, July 25, 2014, 18 days later, Sawyer died in Lagos.


The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that the average incubation period for suspected cases or someone who has made contact with an Ebola patient is eight to ten days from exposure to onset of symptoms. The range is from two to 21 days.


“That's why we recommend that contacts of an infected person go on a fever watch for 21 days,” says Stephan Monroe, deputy director of CDC's National Center for Emerging Zoonotic and Infectious Diseases, at a briefing Monday.


‘Against Medical Advice’


Since the first report surfaced in March, there have been more than 1,201 cases reported and unfortunately 672 deaths in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the CDC says.

“This is the largest Ebola outbreak in history and the first in West Africa. It’s a rapidly changing situation and we expect there will be more cases in these countries in the coming weeks and months. The response to this outbreak will be more of a marathon than a sprint.”

Back in Lagos, authorities at the First Consultants Hospital in Obalende decided that despite Sawyer’s denial, they would test him for Ebola, due to the fact that he had just arrived from Liberia, where there has been an outbreak of the disease with more than 100 deaths.


The hospital issued a statement this week stating that Sawyer was quarantined immediately after he was discovered to have been infected with the deadly virus.


In addition, a barrier nursing was implemented around Sawyer and the Lagos State Ministry of Health was immediately notified. Hospital authorities also requested the Federal Ministry of Health for additional laboratory test based on its suspicion of Ebola.


FrontPageAfrica has now learned that upon being told he had Ebola, Mr. Sawyer went into a rage, denying and objecting to the opinion of the medical experts.

“He was so adamant and difficult that he took the tubes from his body and took off his pants and urinated on the health workers, forcing them to flee."


The hospital would later report that it resisted immense pressure to let out Sawyer from its hospital against the insistence from some higher-ups and conference organizers that he had a key role to play at the ECOWAS convention in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.

In fact, FrontPageAfrica has been informed that officials in Monrovia were in negotiations with ECOWAS to have Sawyer flown back to Liberia. Read the full news from the Source http://crofsblogs.typepad.com/h5n1/2014/07/ebola-in-nigeriapatrick-sawyers-final-hours-in-lagos.html

Ebola in Nigeria: Patrick Sawyer’s final hours in Lagos

Barely 24 hours before his death, Patrick Sawyer had a rather strange - and in the words of medical and diplomatic sources here, “Indiscipline” encounter with nurses and health workers at First Consultants Hospital in Obalende, one of the most crowded parts of Lagos, a population of some 21 million inhabitants, FrontPageAfrica has learned. Looking to get to the bottom of Sawyer’s strange ailment on the Asky Airline flight, which Sawyer transferred on in Togo, hospital officials say, he was tested for both malaria and HIV AIDS. However, when both tests came back negative, he was then asked whether he had made contact with any person with the Ebola Virus, to which Sawyer denied. Sawyer’s sister, Princess had died of the deadly virus on Monday, July 7, 2014 at the Catholic Hospital in Monrovia. On Friday, July 25, 2014, 18 days later, Sawyer died in Lagos. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that the average incubation period for suspected cases or someone who has made contact with an Ebola patient is eight to ten days from exposure to onset of symptoms. The range is from two to 21 days. “That's why we recommend that contacts of an infected person go on a fever watch for 21 days,” says Stephan Monroe, deputy director of CDC's National Center for Emerging Zoonotic and Infectious Diseases, at a briefing Monday. ‘Against Medical Advice’ Since the first report surfaced in March, there have been more than 1,201 cases reported and unfortunately 672 deaths in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the CDC says. “This is the largest Ebola outbreak in history and the first in West Africa. It’s a rapidly changing situation and we expect there will be more cases in these countries in the coming weeks and months. The response to this outbreak will be more of a marathon than a sprint.” Back in Lagos, authorities at the First Consultants Hospital in Obalende decided that despite Sawyer’s denial, they would test him for Ebola, due to the fact that he had just arrived from Liberia, where there has been an outbreak of the disease with more than 100 deaths. The hospital issued a statement this week stating that Sawyer was quarantined immediately after he was discovered to have been infected with the deadly virus. In addition, a barrier nursing was implemented around Sawyer and the Lagos State Ministry of Health was immediately notified. Hospital authorities also requested the Federal Ministry of Health for additional laboratory test based on its suspicion of Ebola. FrontPageAfrica has now learned that upon being told he had Ebola, Mr. Sawyer went into a rage, denying and objecting to the opinion of the medical experts. “He was so adamant and difficult that he took the tubes from his body and took off his pants and urinated on the health workers, forcing them to flee." The hospital would later report that it resisted immense pressure to let out Sawyer from its hospital against the insistence from some higher-ups and conference organizers that he had a key role to play at the ECOWAS convention in Calabar, the Cross River State capital. In fact, FrontPageAfrica has been informed that officials in Monrovia were in negotiations with ECOWAS to have Sawyer flown back to Liberia. Read the full news from

'We Want People to Be Conscious of Their Health'

The Chairman of Gbagada Phase II Residents Association in the Bariga Local.Council Development Area of Lagos State, Mr. Adewale Tijani has stated thatthe group wants residents of the area to be conscious of their health status always.

Speaking against the background of the health screening exercise organised weekend for residents of the area and the general public, Tijani stated that with otherwise healthy people just slumping and never recovering alive, it was important to do periodic medical examination to avoid such emergencies that could lead to death.

With the collaboration of the Muslim Medical Volunteers of Lagos State, the residents' association performed free blood pressure test, urine analysis and general consultation for Mafolukwu and Gbagada Phase II communities where hundreds of people turned up.

Speaking to journalists during the exercise, Tijani reiterated that the reasons for the programme was to avail people the opportunity of knowing their health status, get treated for common diseases such as malaria and above all, counselled on the importance of such periodic checks.He emphasised that the initiative is a corporate social responsibility of the Gbagada Phase II Estate residents association with the aim of strengthening the relationship between both benefitting communities. He said the medical personnel from their partners, the Muslims Medical Volunteers of Lagos State, rendered the free medical screening exercise for bothcommunities and prescribed drugs for some with complaints.

"Over the years, this initiative has encouraged residents to monitor their health status. It is amazing and fulfilling to see the crowd that is part of this programme. This shows that the initiative has helped the residents in both communities. The individuals that were screened that came out with infections based on the tests were given free drugs as well," he said.

A member of the medical personnel explained to THISDAY that urinalysis test is commonly used to diagnose a urinary tract or kidney infection to evaluate causes of kidney failure, to screen for progression of some chronic conditions such as diabetes mellitus and high bloodpressure (hypertension).

He added that it might also be used in combination with other tests to diagnose some other diseases.

"Additional tests and clinical assessment are often required to further investigate findings of urinalysis and ultimately diagnose the causes or specific features of an underlying problem," he explained.



He explained that blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of arteries.

"Blood pressure is recorded as two numbers-the systolic pressure (as the heart beats) over the diastolic pressure (as the heart relaxes between beats). The measurement is written one above or before the other, with the systolic number on top and the diastolic number on the bottom. For example, a blood pressure measurement of 120/80 mmHg (millimeters of mercury) is expressed verbally as "120 over 80. Normal blood pressure is less than 120 mmHg systolic and less than 80 mmHg diastolic," he said further.He stressed that high blood pressure is dangerous because it makes the heart to work too hard and it also makes the walls of the arteries hard as well.

"High blood pressure increases the risk for heart disease and stroke, the first- and third leading causes of death for Americans. High blood pressure can also cause other problems such as heart failure, kidney disease, and blindness.

"Having your blood pressure checked is quick and easy. Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg) and recorded as two numbers systolic pressure 'over' diastolic pressure. For example, the doctor or the. nurse might say '130 over 80' as a bloodpressure reading. Both numbers in a blood pressure reading are important.

As we grow older, systolic blood pressure is especially important," he added.A resident of the community and a beneficiary, Mrs. Ronke Afolabi said that the free health care was a good idea adding that she was glad to be part of the screening exercise.

Afolabi commended the organisers of the programme and singled out the chairman of the resident association for the wonderful opportunity he provided her to know her status.

One of the doctors that participated in the exercise,Dr. Ade Ekemode of Ekemode Memorial Hospital, Surulere, Lagos said the free screening exercise was a good move by the association, citing the fact that medical check-up is not common among Nigerians citizens. He said that the programme was good for the community because it came from good consciences.He added that some of the patients that knew their medical status from the checks could proceed further with treatment of the conditions detected.

Ade also said there were certain predisposing factors that could lead to hypertension such as stress and added that if identified early enough, it could be managed to prevent complication like stroke.

"This programme does not screen for HIV, but from blood pressure checks they can be able to detect those with hypertension and the urine test candetect candidates with diabetes," he added. He said he had participated in the programme since 2010 eventhough he is not a resident of the community.


The Secretary to the Bariga Local Council Development Area, Mr. Johnson stated in an interview that the free medical programme was organised by the Gbagada Phase II Residents' Association to render comprehensive medical service to the people. He commended the initiative of the association for complementing government efforts in the health care delivery project.

The Bale of Mafolukun community, Mr. Badamosi thanked the organisers of the programme on behalf of his community for the opportunity given the residents to enjoy the benefits of the programme.

Source: ThisDay