Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has announced that one of his sons has tested positive to Coronavirus.
Atiku made this known via his Twitter handle Sunday night. He, however, did not reveal which of his sons has the virus. According to the former VP, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) have been notified of the development. He also said that the affected son is receiving medical care at Gwalgwalada Specialist Hospital in Abuja.
My son has tested positive to coronavirus. @NCDCGov has been duly informed, and he has been moved to Gwagwalada Specialist Teaching Hospital in Abuja for treatment and management. I will appreciate it if you have him in your prayers. Stay safe, coronavirus is real. -AA
— Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) March 22, 2020
Recall that the NCDC reported that the total number of confirmed Coronavirus case in Nigeria has reached 27 although two of those initially infected have been discharged from the hospital. Four of those cases were detected in the FCT. It is not stated whether Atiku’s son was one of the four cases a new diagnosis.
Just a few hours after tweeting the news Atiku had released a Facebook statement on Coronavirus where he commended the health workers for doing a good job so far in containing Covid-19 disease. He also reiterated the instruction from health for preventing infection urging people to maintain “social distancing, washing our hands frequently under running water with soap and ensuring that we limit exposure to large gatherings.”
It is known whether Atiku was aware of his son’s diagnosis when he made the Facebook post, which you can read below:
“With the Nigerian spirit, we can overcome any challenge.
“The news that Nigeria last week discharged the Italian index case of Corona Virus in the country after testing negative for the disease is yet another confirmation that the Nigerian spirit can overcome any tough challenge.
“It is a thing of pride to us as a country that our health professionals not only promptly rose to the challenge by tracking the trail of the case and subsequent ones but are able to fully treat the Italian index case and one other.
I will like to congratulate and commend all relevant stakeholders in our healthcare system, at the states and federal government for a job well done thus far. I wish to make special mention of the young doctor, Dr Amarachukwu Karen Allison, whose vigilance may have averted an escalation of the disease.
“This singular effort will, no doubt, boost the respect that our country will earn from the international community and even more is the honour it would bring to Nigerian medical professionals.
“Those men and women who stand in the frontline of containing the spread of the virus within our shores are heroes and history would be kind to them. They have shown to the world that Nigeria is a great country, with great, committed and hardworking people.
“We should continue to be sensitive to the potential dangers inherent in the virus which causes the Covid-19 disease by adhering to instructions about social distancing, washing our hands frequently under running water with soap and ensuring that we limit exposure to large gatherings.
“I join millions of other Nigerians to celebrate our health workers for their courageous work at this difficult time and I urge all Nigerians to remain strong while we fight the scourge of this virus to the end.
Nice one to open up to the public Mr Atiku. May GOD heal him.