The Cross River State Government has confirmed a new case of COVID-19 in Calabar, raising fresh public health concerns.
The State Commissioner for Health, Henry Ayuk, disclosed the development on Tuesday. He said the patient is a 53-year-old Chinese national working with Lafarge in Akamkpa Local Government Area.
According to Ayuk, the patient arrived in Nigeria on March 17. However, he developed symptoms weeks later, which is outside the typical incubation period.
As his condition worsened, doctors initially treated him at a state facility. They later transferred him to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital for further care.
At UCTH, medical staff conducted the required tests. They confirmed the infection after following established protocols.
Ayuk said the patient is currently stable and responding well to treatment. This has provided some reassurance to health authorities and residents.
Health officials expressed concern over the delayed onset of symptoms. Normally, COVID-19 symptoms appear within 2 to 14 days.
Because of this unusual timeline, authorities suspect possible local transmission within Nigeria.
In response, the state has activated its emergency response system. Rapid response teams have already deployed to Akamkpa to contain any potential spread.
The State Epidemiologist, Inyang Ekpenyong, confirmed that contact tracing is ongoing. Teams are identifying and monitoring all close contacts of the patient.
“We may not stop the disease completely, but we can prevent an outbreak,” she said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) also weighed in on the development.
Its Cross River Coordinator, Yewande Olatunde, reminded residents that COVID-19 has not been eradicated. She urged the public to remain cautious and follow safety guidelines.
Despite the situation, Ayuk advised residents not to panic. He stressed that the state has improved its capacity to detect and manage outbreaks.
Health authorities urged the public to maintain good hygiene, report symptoms early, and cooperate with response teams.
They added that early action remains key to preventing wider transmission.
