COVID-19: Buhari’s Minister makes shocking revelations about Benue ‘index case’, Susan Okpe

Adeleke Olorunnimbe Mamora, the Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Health, Tuesday said the Benue State Government through the ministry of health handled the suspected index coronavirus case, Susan Okpe.

ALSO READ: COVID- 19: Susan Okpe was tested positive by NCDC – Abounu

The minister said, although, her viral load was low, which indicates that she might be negative, but has to undergo two tests within the interval of 48 hours, before she could be declared negative.

There has been controversy trailing the suspected index case in Benue State following her refusal to take treatment on the ground that she had no coronavirus disease.

IDOMA VOICE recalls that Susan, upon her return from the United Kingdom, was said to have developed symptoms in Makurdi, a development that made the Benue State Government to pick her up and isolate her.

She, however, refused to take treatment after a doctor that came to attend to her refused to identify himself.

Consequently, she was transferred to Abuja on the order of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs.

ALSO READ: Coronavirus: Susan Okpe narrates horrible experience on her way to Abuja from Makurdi

However, after 18 days of isolation without treatment, the lady is yet to develop any symptoms.

In a viral video, the woman called on the federal government to release her, insisting that she has no COVID-19

Speaking on the development on Channels TV Sunrise Daily and monitored by IDOMA VOICE on Tuesday, Mamora said the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control would look into her case.

ALSO READ: COVID-19: ‘Let me go, I’m not sick’ – Susan Okpe cries out to Buhari, Osinbajo, others after 16 days in isolation (Video)

His words, “That case in Benue was handled by the state through the state Ministry of Health, which claimed she was positive and of course by protocol has to be isolated and treatment commenced.

“Now, we do know that treatment for Covid-19 has no specific drug.

“The recovery of any patient is still largely dependent on the patient immune system, so, what happens is that that there is no specific drug for treatment of the virus because we don’t have that right now but a lot of protocol for the drug that we give exist in so many ways.

“But once a patient is there and whatever supportive treatment you have given, you must do test to measure the viral load.

ALSO READ: Cononavirus: Those who made contact with Susan Okpe yet to show any symptom after 13 days – Abounu

“The information available to me suggests that at a point, the patient viral load became low but not totally negative because before you declare a patient negative, you have to do two successive tests and coming out negative at interval of 48 hours.

“If she’s questioning that, of course NCDC will look into that and investigate to give details of what really happened.”