By Ovie Okpare
The Delta State Government has confirmed the death of a 78-year-old man who died of the COVID-19 pandemic on Wednesday morning.
It stated that the patient died at the Warri Central Hospital where the deceased was rushed. He brings to six the number of deaths the state had recorded.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mordi Ononye confirmed the development in a statement on Wednesday.
Ononye said the patient died three hours after he was rushed to the Warri isolation centre from a private hospital unconscious.
The commissioner explained that the patient was referred to the COVID-19 treatment center from a private hospital in Warri.
The statement said, “Since the index case of COVID-19 was detected on April 7th, 2020, the State has recorded a total of 28 cases which were from the 425 persons tested so far in the State.
“Five of the recorded deaths were between 47 and 78 years of age and they all had one pre-existing illness or the other, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and chronic liver or kidney disease.
“One of the deaths was that of a young man of 20 years who had been suffering from blood cancer and anaemic heart failure that took him to the hospital frequently for treatment, including blood transfusions.
“As of date, the state has recorded 28 confirmed cases, 6 deaths, 12 discharges, and 10 active cases still being managed in our treatment centers.
“It is obvious from the recorded deaths that the most vulnerable persons among us are those who have pre-existing illnesses and are elderly.”
