Kenya has sadly reported the first case of the deadly coronavirus, COVID-19 as reported by Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe.
“I would like to inform Kenyans that the Ministry of Health has confirmed the first case of Coronavirus in Kenya.
The case was confirmed on the 12th at night and is the first case to be reported in Kenya since the beginning of the outbreak in China.
The case is a Kenyan citizen who traveled back to Nairobi from the United States via London on March 5.
“Stay at home if you feel unwell with symptoms like fever, cough and difficulties in breathing,”
She was confirmed positive by the National Influenza Laboratory at the National Health laboratory at The Ministry of Health,” said CS Mutahi Kagwe.
Mutahi said that the patient who checked herself in after she started experiencing the symptoms she believed was closely related to the deadly COVID-19 is stable and will not be discharged until she’s declared negative.
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The Health CS also said that they are currently following up with all the people who were in contact with her.
Some of the people she had contact with are not Kenyan citizens and the government went beyond their way to reach out to them.
“We have done all the contact tracing and have all the names including the people who sat next to her on the flights she took,” Mutahi Kagwe said.
The official statement released by the Office of the Ministry of Health addressing the aforementioned issue of the passengers who were next to her or who had contact with her while on the plane read, “The case is a Kenyan citizen who traveled back to Nairobi returning from the United States of America via London, United Kingdom on the 5th March 2020. She was confirmed positive by the National Influenza Centre Laboratory at the National Public Health Laboratories of the Ministry of Health. The patient is clinically stable, and is being managed at the Infectious Diseases Unit at the Kenyatta National Hospital.”
“The lady traveled from Ohio through Chicago through London, and finally landed Nairobi. In these all these places she was screened.
Even in Nairobi, she was screened but all the while she was fine.
She didn’t display any symptoms.”
“The Government of Kenya, through the Ministry of Health, continues to strengthen measures to ensure no further transmission of the disease in Kenya. The National Emergency Response Committee on Coronavirus preparedness and response will continue to provide strategic leadership working through whole Government approach to respond to this case in the implementation of mitigation measures.” the official statement shared by the Ministry of Health read in part.
Mutahi Kagwe warned against the notion currently doing rounds around the internet that the pandemic virus doesn’t affect people with black skin stating that the woman has black skin.
“There has been this misguided notion that you can’t get coronavirus because (you’re black). The lady is 27 years and she is black.” the Health CS, Mutahi Kagwe said.
This marks the first case of the deadly pandemic virus being reported in the country.
