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Coronavirus: No suspicious rise in Jigawa deaths
A Nigerian medical team investigating reports of a rise in deaths in Jigawa State that could have been coronavirus-related says it found no evidence to support the claims.
The five medics were sent to the town of Hadeja following rumours of an increase in fatalities.
The head of the investigation said that 92 people had died in the space of eight days, which was not unusual.
The investigation was unable to rule out that the deaths were linked to coronavirus as tests had not been carried out.
Full autopsies are rarely carried out in the region because of religious sensitivities.
The Jigawa state government is investigating a reported rise in deaths.
The state government sent a five-person team to report back before the end of the week after residents said there had been an increase in deaths in some communities.
Local reports quoting residents of Hadejia town say about 100 people were reported dead in 10 days.
Doctors in Jigawa initially attributed the deaths to illnesses such as asthma, diabetes and high blood pressure.
The visiting medical team, which included a representative from the World Health Organization (WHO), investigated whether the deaths were linked to coronavirus.
Chairman of the doctors’ association in Jigawa, Nura Basirka, has said he is concerned after 16 medical personnel tested positive for Covid-19 and has called for all medical staff to be tested.
So far Jigawa state has officially recorded 39 coronavirus cases and one death.
Investigations are also under way in neighbouring Yobe and Kano states, where there have been reports of rise in deaths linked to “strange” ailments.
