Nigerian doctor exposed to coronavirus patient dies from virus

A Nigerian doctor who was exposed to a coronavirus patient at his private clinic has died from the virus.

Emeka Chugbo was taken to the  Lagos University Teaching Hospital on Monday with “severe symptoms” and died on Wednesday, according to the hospital, the BBC reported.

A friend of the deceased told local media that the 60-year-old doctor had a history of asthma.

A patient at Dr Chugbo’s clinic who had COVID-19 died last week.

Dr. Chugbo is, however, the second Nigerian medical doctor to have succumbed to the coronavirus in Nigeria.

On April 11, a medic in Northern Nigeria, Aliyu Yakubu, died of the virus, making him the first Doctor to have died from the virus in the West African country.

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has in the past urged the state governments to provide enough protective gear to all health workers.

The association also admonished patients to be honest about their medical, travel and contact history to better assist doctors, provide prompt services and identify potential coronavirus cases as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, friends and family have been paying tribute to Dr Chigbo.

He “exhibited exemplary brilliance and showed empathy for his patients”, former colleague Dr Oyeneyin told reporters.

“RIP Unc!,” tweeted a loved one who also called the late doctor “one of the smartest people I ever knew”: