Doctor dies of COVID-19-related symptoms in Jigawa

Dr Naseer Adam, a medical doctor at the Federal Medical Centre, Birnin Kudu died from COVID-19-related symptoms in Jigawa State on Saturday.

The deceased’s colleague, Dr Abbas Bello, in tribute on Twitter, lamented that one of the darkest moments of a doctor’s life was when they could not help save the life of a colleague, friend and one of their own.

Bello described his late colleague as one of the most hardworking, humble, kind, generous, industrious, and down-to-earth clinicians he had knew, adding that indigent patients wanted to see him as he would review them, pay for medication he prescribed, and give them transport fare.

On the deceased’s exposure to COVID-19, Bello said, “About three weeks ago, he evaluated and managed a patient with acute respiratory infection at the outpatients’ clinic, but when the patient returned the next day, due to worsening breathlessness, he informed me and we reviewed together and isolated the patient, whose result returned positive for COVID-19.

“Following the medical advice, three of us, including the house officer, observed and completed two weeks’ home self-isolation and self-monitoring without any symptom and then resumed duty thereafter, while observing safety precaution including (use of) face mask, social distancing and frequent hand sanitising.”

According to his coworker, on Thursday, Adam had a runny nose, dry cough and mild fever, which the sickly doctor attributed to sleeping in the corridor of his apartment because of heat.

He was said to have taken “some antibiotics, antihistamines and PCM (paracetamol) with no improvement” and experienced increasing difficulty in breathing and lethargy.

“He (Adam) then reported to the emergency unit. He was reviewed and positive findings include facial puffiness extending to the neck with feeble pulse, unrecordable BP, Spo2 70 per cent, widespread rhonchi, RBS 15 mmol/l, widespread maculopapular rashes and anuria.

“Immediately, (he) commenced on IVF N/S, BSA, antimal, 100 per cent O2, dopamine + saline infusion, nebulise salbutamol and iv hydrocortisone and attention of DSNO called upon for the possibility of  COVID-19 pneumonitis.

“Almost immediately, respiratory distress started to improve, SPO2 99%, RBS 11.8 mmol/l, then 9.5 mmol/l, BP appreciate 80/60 mmhg, start to make adequate urine, DSNO and team arrived counsel him and took his sample. Then, I said to him, ‘Doc, you are doing well. I will be back in a jiffy.’ He could not complete a sentence and he said to me, ‘Thank you, chief,’ with a smile on his face.”