ZIMBABWE is running low on Covid-19 testing commodities
amid reports that the country records about 81 cases daily.
These commodities include chemicals needed to run tests and
containers to put specimens used when conducting and processing Covid-19 test
and results.
There are three types of tests available globally and used
in Zimbabwe for Covid-19 which include polymerase chain reaction (PCR),
antigen, and antibody (serology) testing.
PCR and antigen tests detect whether a person is currently
infected, and serology detects whether a person had an infection in the past.
According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care weekly
Covid-19 report, the country needed 15 000 viral transport media and and an
equal number of PCR reagents per month. At the moment there is only 10 percent
of stocks.
The report shows that there is a low supply of GeneXpert
cartridges which will not last for a month. Zimbabwe recorded the first case of
Covid-19 on March 21.
“Testing was decentralised to improve on the turnaround
time but frequent shortages of testing kits and reagents have slowed down the
progress made. The number of PCR tests done decreased with average tests for
the week standing at 1 240 as compared to 1 946 from the previous week. We also
reported a decrease in the positives this week (890) as compared from the
previous week (2 280),” read the report.
However, the ministry said at the moment there is no back
log across all testing labs in Zimbabwe as all people who tested have received
their results.
“During the period August 22 to 28, an average of 81 cases
was recorded per day,” read the report.
Statistics show that more males (62 percent) have died due
to Covid-19 than females.
Most deaths have been recorded in the age range 41 to 50
years.
“Age groups within the range 21 to 64 years of age are the
most affected. These age groups are highly mobile and also represent mostly the
population that is economically active. In this range the relatively young
population is the most affected, those between 25 and 44 years of age and 51
percent of all the cases are females.”
A total of 573 new confirmed Covid-19 cases and 43 deaths
were reported between the 22 and 28 August 2020 giving a cumulative of 6 388
cases and 195 deaths.
“All the cases were put under isolation and are monitored
periodically. Manicaland (5.2 percent) has the highest Case fatality rate
followed by Mashonaland West (5.0 percent) and Harare (4.3 percent). The CFR
has increased from 2.6 percent to 3.1 percent during the period 22nd to 28th of
August 2020.”
In the past seven days, the country recorded 58 imported
cases, of these 40 were from South Africa and 18 from Botswana.
About 19 countries contribute to the tally of imported
cases with South Africa contributing 82.3 percent of the cases.
“South Africa continues to contribute significantly to the
number of imported cases.
The implementation of the cabinet directive on the 18th of
August that permits immigrants who have negative PCR test upon arrival to be
quarantined at home under the supervision of the local Rapid Response Team will
be fully implemented once testing capacity at points of entry have been
optimised.”
The report also reads: “Matabeleland South and Masvingo
provinces are the only provinces that have reported more imported cases than
local cases. Matabeleland South has two borders namely Beitbridge and Plumtree
where most returnees proceeding to other parts of the country have been
diagnosed of Covid-19.”
According to the Ministry, as of 28 August 2020, local
cases constituted 80.7 percent of the total Covid-19 cases reported in the
country.
“Local cases have been reported in most parts of the
country. The figures shows that there is a significant number of cases that are
of unknown source of infection and more of these cases are in Harare and
Bulawayo provinces. The country is now in community transmission,” said the
Ministry.
According to the weekly report, there are 20 people in
Covid-19 isolation treatment centres countrywide.
“Two patients were in ICU and a total of 20 cases were
admitted in Treatment facilities while the rest were put on home isolation with
continued monitoring. Data from Harare City, Bulawayo City and UBH was not
available by the time of production of the report.”
Bulawayo (145) and Midlands (128) provinces continue
accounting for a greater proportion of frontline workers infected.
“Health worker account for 84 percent of the frontline
workers reported to date. Investigations are underway to determine if the
working environment for health workers has contributed, in any way, to these
infections.” Chronicle
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