Minister of State for Health, Adeleke Mamora, says a Nigerian doctor has died in Italy of coronavirus.
Olumide Okunuga, a pathologist who lived in Italy aged 63, had contracted the disease during a visit to Canada.
Speaking on Monday to reporters while giving an update on Covid-19 in Nigeria, Mamora disagreed with a saying that the black man’s gene was resistant to the novel virus.
“We must be conscious of not being complacent; the price to pay for complacency is huge. I have heard people say that the black man’s gene is resistant and so COVID-19 is not for us,” he said.
“Don’t forget, some black men even from Africa, even from Nigeria have died, unfortunately. We heard the story of one doctor who lived in Italy, a Nigerian, a black man.
“So we should not get carried away. There are a lot of things known about COVID-19 and there are still things unknown. We have to be very careful about believing claims that are yet to be fully validated.”
Mamora said Nigeria received an action guideline from the World Health Organisation and that if it becomes necessary a travel ban would be introduced.
