Ilorin And Tales Of Sudden Death
ILORIN, the Kwara state capital had in the last one month recorded cases of many sudden deaths and these are being linked to alleged side effects of COVID- 19 vaccines people took some three years ago.
The recorded deaths included those of two veteran journalists in Ilorin, the state capital of which one had retired from service late last year while the second was due for retirement at the middle of the year 2024.
Besides, statistics of corpses buried at both the Muslim Cemetery, New Yiddi Road, Osere, Ilorin and the public cemetery at Old Jebba Road, Oke- Ose between January and April 2024, tripled the ones recorded last year during the same period.
Among the relatives, the strongest lead adduced for such deaths was the COVID- 19 vaccines they took at the heat of the global pandemic scourge.
But the President of National Association of Resident Doctors ( NARD), Dr Dele Abdullahi and a Consultant Cardiologist with University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital ( UITH), under condition of anonymity debunked such fears that are not scientifically proved.
Most of those that had died during this period complained of slight weaknesses of the body, but died suddenly before being taken to the health care facilities for treatments.
The most pathetic one was the story of a middle- age man around Ita- Ogunbo Area of Ilorin, who was part of the entourage to the Muslim
Cemetery in order to bury a corpse four days ago.
According to his uncle, who simply identified himself as Abdullahi, “after the burial of his friend as they were returning from the cemetery he had slumped and died in front of the vehicle he boarded. We were later contacted by a good Samaritan who identified the deceased wife’s number and called her on the deceased handset.”
The husband of a 57- year- old woman whose wife died around Gaa Akanbi last week Monday said; “we were all together in the sitting room when she complained of a slight chest pain. We promptly took her to the hospital but she died inside the car on the way to the hospital.”
The wife of the late journalist said of her husband’s last moments on the earth, “we were all together inside the house and he complained of heat which made him to sit at the pavement. But when it was time for him to enter around 8: 00pm we didn’t see him. The children called him to no avail until we discovered him dead on the floor.”
Speaking on the development, Dr Abdullahi said, “right now, there is no link between any death and COVID- 19 vaccines. In Nigeria, the culture of autopsy is abysmal low. But till date, no side effects have been linked with the
COVID- 19 vaccines. These deaths could be linked with cardiovascular diseases. Besides, we may not rule out the effects of the harsh weather conditions leading to dehydration. “The dwindling economic situations causing more anxieties among the citizens could also be the cause. Nobody can stop death but we need to also live healthy. We need to regularly check out Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar level. We should not allow the problems to multiply before looking for solutions. Those on medications should take their drugs religiously. We should drink more water and treat cardiovascular diseases promptly.”
For the Consultant Cardiologist at the UITH, “I am not aware of reported cases of deaths linked with side effects of COVID- 19 vaccines. We need clinical confirmations on this. Remember that the vaccines were administered to people all over the world. So, Nigeria could not have been an exception. We should look at the underlining causes of deaths rather than working on assumptions. The vaccines are safe and no one has debunked the claims.
“Recall that the World Health Organization ( WHO) recently released its first- ever report on the devastating global impact of high blood pressure, along with recommendations on the ways to win the race against this silent killer. The report shows approximately four out of every five people with hypertension are not adequately treated, but if countries can scale up coverage, 76 million deaths could be averted between 2023 and 2050.” Hypertension affects 1 in 3 adults worldwide. This common, deadly condition leads to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney damage and many other health problems.
The number of people living with hypertension ( blood pressure of 140/ 90 mmhg or higher or taking medication for hypertension) doubled between 1990 and 2019, from 650 million to 1.3 billion. Nearly half of people with hypertension globally are currently unaware of their condition. More than threequarters of adults with hypertension live in low- and middle- income countries.
Older age and genetics can increase the risk of having high blood pressure, but modifiable risk factors such as eating high- salt diet, not being physically active and drinking too much alcohol can also increase the risk of hypertension.
Lifestyle changes like eating a healthier diet, quitting tobacco and being more active can help lower blood pressure. Some people may need medicines that can control hypertension effectively and prevent related complications.