Italian coronavirus patient in Nigeria tries to escape from isolation center over poor living conditions

The 44-year-old Italian man diagnosed with Coronavirus in Lagos allegedly attempted to escape from the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, Lagos of Friday, February 28th.

Punch reports that Health workers at the Mainland Hospital, Yaba, said the Italian man threatened to leave over the poor condition of facilities at the Isolation center. A senior staff of the hospital who spoke on condition of anonymity said the Italian man complained bitterly about the excessive heat and mosquitoes in the room where he is being isolated.

“The patient wanted to run away yesterday (Friday). The Italian man, who seems to be an engineer, was very angry that the room where he was kept was very hot. There is nothing there (inside the isolation ward) aside from bed and hospital locker. He almost ran away and is still threatening to do that” the Health worker who did not wear any personal protective equipment required of workers in such an environment said

The anonymous health worker stated that the level of preparedness in Lagos State for infectious diseases such as Coronavirus and Lassa fever “is zero.”

According to the staff, Lagos State does not have the facility to accommodate individuals who might have come in contact with the Italian, adding that the facility that is meant to accommodate both suspected and confirmed Coronavirus cases is still undergoing renovation “and might take a while” before it can function fully.

The worker also revealed that the isolation area was a room in one of the wards and that it was quickly vacated to accommodate the index case.