Doctor infects 10 members of family after testing positive to COVID-19

A Medical Doctor in Bauchi State has infected ten members of his family for COVID-19, after he himself tested positive to the virus.

Although nine of the infected family members have been treated and discharged, his nine years old son is still in Isolation Centre taking treatment.

Chairman, State Primary Health Care Development Agency (BSPHCDA), Dr. Rilwanu Muhammed, disclosed this to news men in the State Capital.

He said the Doctor may have been infected with the virus while he was treating Covid-19 patients in the State but he refused to allow himself to be treated, thereby exposing his family members to the deadly virus.

”The doctor and nine of his family members were recently discharged but the last child, the 9 year-old son is still in isolation. When the doctor got infected, instead of allowing other doctors to take care of him, he went home with it. He ought to have placed himself on a sick roll and allow others to treat him, you’re a doctor doesn’t mean you can treat yourself of COVID-19,” he warned.

Dr Rilwan Muhammed, However, advised infected health workers to submit themselves for treatment to avoid infecting other members of the society. He added that no fewer than 24 health workers have tested positive so far for the novel virus, with 17 from Azare community in Katagum Local Government Area while 7 were infected in Bauchi Local Government.

Mohammed, who is also the Chairman, Contact Tracing Committee on COVID-19 in the state also identified denials by infected patients as one of the challenges health workers are facing in the state.

According to him, “health workers most times may have had contact with an infected patient before knowing his or her Covid-19 status”.