Inside Lagos coronavirus isolation centre: Executive Director of STER narrates her ordeal after testing positive and recovering from COVID-19

Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi, the Nigerian woman who was the flag bearer at the last Commonwealth Day service in the UK, has narrated what it was like when she was diagnosed with the deadly coronavirus after returning to Nigeria.

29-year-old Oluwaseun, who is a Time 100 Next Honouree and also a leader at Obama Foundation, said she began self-isolating when she returned to Nigeria after fulfilling her duties abroad.

While isolating at home, she said she kept calling NCDC to get her tested. The test was not forthcoming but she persisted and was eventually tested, but got no information on her test result.

One night, an ambulance arrived at her home at 12 midnight while she was sleeping and she was whisked off to the Lagos state isolation centre where she said no one attended to her for 2 hours.

“I got to isolation center, but no one was there to receive me. I waited in the ambulance for TWO HOURS, ” she wrote.

Eventually, nurses came out to attend to her and she said they treated her like a “plague”.

Oluwaseun, who was named Commonwealth Young Person of the Year 2019 for her abuse support programme as the Executive Director of Stand to End Rape Initiative, said she was eventually taken into the isolation centre and shown her bed space.

She said she felt lonely as she was the only one. But, a few days later, patients began trooping in.

She added that the following days were tough and she thought she would die. She was stooling, vomiting, and had no appetite.

She added: “I was on drugs daily. Sometimes, I‘d take 8 tablets in the morning, 13 tablets in the afternoon, 10 at night. My system threw everything out! Water, food, soap & all disgusted me. But I’d look at the wall & force myself to stay hydrated — drank ORS. I FOUGHT TO LIVE! I FOUGHT!!”

Days later, she was told that she has tested negative for the virus, but she wasn’t discharged right away.

She said she was worried about being reinfected since she was still in the same ward with others who still tested positive, and she asked to be transferred to another ward. But her request was denied “as all other rooms were full”.

The doctors kept giving her drugs and carried out more tests and she was confirmed negative again.

She revealed that she has now been discharged and she thanked the Lagos state governor for visiting her and the nurses at the Isolation centre for their care. She added that the food given to coronavirus patients is “good.”

She wrote: “Today, I am PROUD to inform you that I MURDERED COVID-19 & have tested NEGATIVE TWICE! I HAVE BEEN DISCHARGED! I bless God for His mercies.

“The nurses at IDH Yaba were fab. They deserve accolades for their hardwork. Thank you Governor @jidesanwoolu for coming to see me.

“Thanks to @ProfAkinAbayomi, the health team at IDH + Lagos State. The food was good!”

Below is a thread shared by Oluwaseun, narrating her experience.