HIGHLANDERS striker Prince Dube is among 82 Zimbabweans
placed under surveillance for the deadly Coronavirus whose death toll in China
now stands at more than 300 with more than 14 000 infections confirmed.
The Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Obadiah Moyo,
last week told a media briefing that 82 people were being monitored in Zimbabwe
after entering the country from affected areas.
They however, have all tested negative. Dube has been on
trial with a Chinese second tier club Shaanxi Chang’an Athletic, which is based
in Xi’an, about 785km from Wuhan, the epicentre of the deadly virus.
He was still in China when outbreak started and returned to
Zimbabwe on January 21. Medical doctors that spoke to Chronicle on condition of
anonymity, said the 22-year-old starlet has been on the surveillance radar
since landing from China. He is however, showing no symptoms of the virus.
“He is on a 14-day round-the-clock surveillance. Everyone
is on high alert but so far nothing serious has been detected. He is also aware
of this and is taking all necessary precautions which is making everyone’s
concerns less stressful,” said the doctor.
“Like what has been stressed by authorities, no one should
be worried about this procedure and I want to emphasise that no Coronavirus has
been detected in Zimbabwe and we remain on high alert.”
Bulawayo City Council director of health services Dr Edwin
Sibanda confirmed that Dube is under surveillance for Coronavirus. He however,
could not give detailed information, saying he was out of town.
“I can confirm that Highlanders’ striker, Prince Dube, who
was recently in China, is under surveillance for Coronavirus. I don’t have much
details as I am out of town,” he said.
Health authorities at Zimbabwe’s ports of entry have moved
to reduce the possible spread of the deadly Coronavirus by screening visitors
and monitoring threats.
Last week, Dr Moyo urged Zimbabweans not to panic over the
virus as necessary surveillance and precautionary measures have been put in
place at all ports of entry.
He said although no case has been detected so far in the
country, Zimbabwe was on high alert as it takes a co-ordinated global response.
Dr Moyo said all 26 ports, eight of which are airports and
18 inland border posts, have screening facilities.
He said Zimbabwe was not at risk as it does not have direct
flights to China and other affected countries.
Meanwhile, the number of suspected cases of Coronavirus
recorded in neighbouring Botswana has risen to five.
Zimbabwe and Botswana share a common border and there is a
lot of movement of travellers between the two countries.
In a statement, Botswana’s Ministry of Health and Wellness
said the five suspected patients of Coronavirus who presented flu-like symptoms
arrived in the country through Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (SKIA).
The first case was registered last Thursday at SKIA upon
arrival from China on an Ethiopian Airlines plane.
“The Ministry confirms five suspected cases of Coronavirus
presenting with flu-like symptoms since January 30, 2020. All the five
suspected cases arrived at the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (SKIA),”
read the statement signed by the Ministry’s chief public relations officer, Ms
Doreen F Motshegwa.
She said five suspected cases of Coronavirus were picked at
different times and isolated at a designated health facility in Gaborone while
waiting laboratory results. The specimens were sent to the regional reference
laboratory in South Africa.
“We wish to emphasise that these are suspected cases since
they presented with symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection such as fever,
cough, fatigue and headache.
“The public is advised to continue exercising precautions
towards the prevention of Coronavirus such as personal hygiene,” said Ms
Motshegwa.
She said the neighbouring country’s health authorities are
closely monitoring the situation in consultation with the World Health
Organisation (WHO).
The Coronavirus has since been declared a global emergency
by WHO, as the outbreak continues to spread outside China, with a 44-year-old
man in the Philippines having succumbed to the disease, making him the first
known death outside China.
The man, a resident of Wuhan, China, the epicentre of the
virus, died on Saturday after developing what officials called “severe
pneumonia.”
According to the Chinese and WHO data, more than 2 000 new
cases were recorded in that country in the past 24 hours, raising the worldwide
total to nearly 14 380 as at yesterday.
According to WHO, the vast majority of the cases are inside
China while about 100 cases have been confirmed in at least 23 other countries.
Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted
between animals and people and are commonly spread from an infected person to
others through air by coughing and sneezing, close personal contact as well as
touching an infected surface.
Symptoms include running nose, headache, sore throat,
fever, short breaths or difficulties in breathing among others. Chronicle
0 comments:
Post a Comment