Olufemi Atoyebi, Abuja

The result of COVID-19 second test done for the chairman of the governing board of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Ibrahim Shetima, has returned positive.

Shetima had been in isolation at a special ward in the UCH after he tested positive for coronavirus two weeks ago.

The Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mr Toye Akinrinlola, had said the chairman manifested symptoms of the virus shortly after the last board meeting of the hospital began in Ibadan, adding that the test conducted on him revealed that he was positive for COVID-19.

On Tuesday, Akinrinlola, in another interview with our correspondent, said Shetima would continue to receive treatment at the UCH and that a third test would be done in a few days.

He said, “As I earlier said, the chairman only attended the first day of the board meeting on Tuesday, 24th of March,  2020. It was at the meeting that he began to exhibit symptoms of COVID-19. The meeting was suspended and a test was done and result came out positive. He was placed in a special ward at the hospital for treatment.

“A repeat test, which was done to see if he was negative after a series of treatments, was conducted two days ago (Sunday) and the result still showed positive.

“He is being treated at an isolation centre at the UCH. He will continue treatment and a third test would be done at an appointed time.”

The UCH image maker, however, said Shetima was “sharp and alert.”

He added, “The chairman’s case is not severe. He is sharp and alert but we have to attain that negative status before we can consider him as fully recovered. The record we have places him around 65 years of age.”

Also at the meeting was the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof Jesse Otegbayo, who later tested positive for the virus. After days of treatment, a reconfirmation test was carried out on the CMD which came out negative on Sunday.

NextD18:
UCH Chairman renews his contract with CoroFc

realstars:
I Pity Health Workers. This Is A Very Crushall Time For Them, May God Guid And Protect Them In Theire Field Of Work In This Dangerus Period.

HIDDEN KILLER Fears coronavirus can HIDE in cells and reactivate later after 51 recovered patients test positive again

FEARS have been raised that the coronavirus may be able to remain in the body and "reactivate" later after 51 recovered patients tested positive again.

The patients, from the city of Daegu, South Korea, had all spent time in quarantine while recovering from the virus, but were diagnosed again within days of being released.



Reports from South Korea say 51 recovered coronavirus patients have again tested positiveCredit: EPA



South Korea has been among the most successful countries globally in controlling the outbreak, using strict quarantining and widespread testing to slow its spread of the virus.

The number of new cases being diagnosed each day in the country is now at levels last seen as the pandemic was getting underway in February.

The 51 cases were identified as part of a study conducted in Daegu, the epicentre of the outbreak in South Korea, by a team of epidemiologists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The center said it did not believe the patients had been reinfected, but that the virus had remained at undetectable levels in their cells and later "reactivated".

The claim runs contrary to the bulk of current evidence about how the virus works.

Speaking to MailOnline, Paul Hunter, an infectious diseases professor at the University of East Anglia, said: "I agree that these will not be reinfections but I do not think these will be reactivations.

"Personally I think the most likely explanation is that the clearance samples were false negative."

Coronavirus patients are typically required to test negative twice before being allowed to leave quarantine.

Where this happens and they are later found to be infected, it is thought to be much more likely that the negative tests gave the wrong result.

The tests currently available produce an incorrect results roughly one in five times.

It is currently thought that coronavirus patients will remain immune from the disease in at least the medium-term once they have recovered.

Scientists have said previous reports of people becoming reinfected are concerning, but that much more evidence needs to be collected before conclusions can be drawn.

Speaking in February, Mark Harris, Professor of Virology at the University of Leeds, said: Clearly we need more information about these patients, such as were there underlying medical conditions or a change in circumstances that might have allowed the virus to escape immune control?

"This highlights the need for more research into the biology of the new coronavirus. It is very much early days in our efforts to understand it.”

The coronavirus has infected more than 1.3 million people globally and killed at least 73,608 since first breaking out in December.

bender79:
Hmm. How much more you have invented a new spelling.

NaijaRoyalty:
I wish him and other carriers of this deadly disease a speedy recovery in Jesus name, Amen.

I think our doctors should do a thorough check before discharging this patients .

Lets just hope he has not infected anyone else now that the virus has resurfaced.

It is well .

Iyiataata92:
Simply put, Nigeria is confused.

Can't say more than this

NextD18:
UCH Chairman renews his contract with CoroFc

Doctor2020:
This thing is not really true again o.