By Ovie Okpare
The Delta State Government has decorated the COVID-19 index case in the state as ambassador in the fight against the spread of the dreaded virus in the state.
The index case, Chief Austin Eruotor, was decorated and presented with his letter of appointment on Friday at the Government House, Asaba.
Eruotor tested positive for the disease on February 7, 2020.
Chief Eruotor was decorated and presented with his letter of appointment by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, and assisted by the Commissioner for health, Dr. Mordi Ononye, and information commissioner, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, at the Government House on Friday.
The ambassador, who volunteered to take the campaign against the spread of the virus to the nooks and cranny of the state, stressed that COVID-19 and advised the people of the state to strictly adhere to the measures put in place to check the spread of the disease.
Eruotor, who was recently discharged from isolation centre following his recovery, thanked the state governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, and medical workers in the state for the support given to him while battling with the virus.
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Sharing his experience to newsmen, Delta COVID-19 ambassador who spent 36 days at the treatment centre at the Delta State University Teaching Hospital (DELSUTH), Oghara, ascribed his recovery to God.
He noted that having recovered from the virus he has decided to dedicate his life to the campaign against the spread of the disease as well as to enlighten Deltans and Nigerians about the pandemic so as to overcome it.
Eruotor, a traditional chief in Ethiope East Local Government of the state, joined by another COVID-19 survivor, Dr. Jerry Azinge, advised the people of the state against pandemic and strictly follow the various regulations that have been enacted by health organizations.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, the state commissioner for health, Dr Ononye, urged the people of the state to take serious precautionary measures put in place by the state government and warned against stigmatization of survivors.
Ononye said, “It is treatable but no known drug that kills the Coronavirus has been found or endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The drug had not killed the virus but prevents the virus from multiplying and damaging body.”
“No one should doubt that COVID-19 is real. There are confirmed cases in 13 local government areas of the state and 66 per cent of those affected are males while 34 per cent are females, with bed occupancy rate of 48 per cent.”
The Health Commissioner also disclosed that the apparently youngest case in the state, a two-month-old baby girl, who tested positive for the disease along with her mother, was at the Specialist Hospital Asaba.
He said that the girl was among the 116 cases so far recorded in Delta but was responding well to treatment, adding that although the baby was initially on medical ventilators, she would be well and ready for discharge in no distant future.
“A two months old baby girl has been with us for about one week; she’s doing well and she is being treated by paedriatricians at the Specialist Hospital Asaba, and the mother is with her,” Ononye said.
