The Lagos State Commissioner of Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, says a 32-year-old man who died after returning to Nigeria from Dubai earlier in the week did not die of COVID-19 as he had claimed.
Abayomi made this known via his verified Twitter handle @ProfAkinAbayomi on Thursday.
In his apology on Wednesday, the commissioner said he had “presumed” the evacuee’s death, promising, however, to make public the victim’s COVID-19 test result when it is ready.
On Thursday, in a series of tweets, Abayomi wrote: “I hereby inform the general public that the Nigerian who recently returned from Dubai as part of a group of returnees who were placed in a #COVID19 isolation program in Lekki, pending confirmation by #COVID19 Gold standard test.
“This presumptive attribution is a precaution to ensure the safe clinical management of the patient and subsequent handling of the corpse.
“The definitive #COVID19 gold standard test has turned out to be negative for the #COVID19 infection and his death is no longer considered to have been attributable to #COVID19.
“Because of the sudden nature of his demise and without any prior knowledge of his multiple preexisting conditions, it was presumed to be a #COVID19 related death pending confirmation by #COVID19 gold standard test.”
This is just one among so many deaths attributed to covid-19 even when it is not.