By Jonathan Ugbal
The SARS – CoV-2 pandemic has claimed its first victim of Cross River origin.
25-year-old Bassey Offiong who hails from Calabar, passed away on Saturday, March 28, 2020, reports the News Agency of Nigeria.
Offiong, “a final year Chemical Engineering student of Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, died on Saturday, March 28, at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak,” NAN quotes a statement by the consul general of Nigeria in New York, Benaoyagha Okoyen as saying.
According to Okoyen’s statement, two other Nigerians have died.
They include a medical doctor, Calen Anya who hailed from Ohafia local government area in Abia state as well as 60-year old Hajia Laila Abubakar Ali of Kano descent, who died on March 25, while receiving treatment at the Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx, New York.
Meanwhile, CalabarBlog reports that Offiong’s sister, Asari Offiong, said her brother told her he was turned down several times for the coronavirus test in the Kalamazoo area while living off-campus despite having fever, fatigue and shortness of breath.
His mom Mmaeyen Offiong is said to be critically ill in and on admission at a hospital while his dad is quarantined at home.
In Nigeria, the Nigerian Center for Disease Control on Monday night announced six new cases bringing to a total of 238 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Of that number, 35 have been discharged and 5 deaths recorded.
Six new cases of #COVID19 have been reported in Nigeria: 2 in Kwara, 2 in Edo, 1 in Rivers and 1 in the FCT
As at 09:30 pm 6th April there are 238 confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported in Nigeria. Thirty-five have been discharged with five deaths pic.twitter.com/jmChydhtas
— NCDC (@NCDCgov) April 6, 2020
Short Link:
