MON, FEB 17 2020-theG&BJournal- – Director, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Dr John Nkengasong said Friday that Africa CDC will in the next two weeks, provide further training and resources to Egypt and other at-risk countries for infection prevention and control in healthcare facilities, medical management of COVID-19, and risk communication and community engagement.
The statement comes after Egypt reported the first confirmed case- a 33 years old, of foreign origin who is currently receiving treatment in isolation centre in Egypt. The 17 contacts of the patients have all tested negative and all of them are under home isolation for 14 days.
Africa CDC said they are confident that Egypt has the expertise to manage the situation.
‘’Africa CDC is communicating with officials in Egypt and the World Health Organization (WHO) Office for the Eastern Mediterranean Region to coordinate support for Egypt in responding to this outbreak,’’ Nkengasong said.
Africa CDC have been conducting training across the continent and supplied test kits to 16 African laboratories, Egypt and Dakar, Senegal were they have conducted training. The training will be extended this week to Nairobi, Kenya for 40 participants from nine countries.
Arica CDC say there are pending results from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Cameroon and Eswantini under watch and surveillance has been increased across Africa as the continent brace for the inevitable impact of COVID-19.
So far, Nigeria and 17 other countries in Africa have identified people with the symptoms and travel history with regards to the definition of COVID-19.
According to Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), all cases tested have been negative except one case in Egypt reported on 14th of February.
NCDC outlined their preparedness to include daily assessment, development of guidelines, training of health workers, intensified screening at every point of entry, established testing capacity in 3 laboratories and regular communication with public.
Globally, reported death toll totals 1,770 and the death toll in mainland China has risen by 142 to 1,665 but Chinese officials are reporting a drop in the number of new cases. The number has now fallen for the third straight day to 2,009. The total number of people infected globally is estimated at 68,500, according to the Chinese National Health Commission.
Across the United Kingdom, there are now 100 confirmed cases and France has so far reported one fatality, an 80 year old man. Reports say the man travelled from the Hubei province on January 16. He died of a lung infection sparked by the bug which caused his condition to rapidly deteriorate.
Meanwhile, a child born to a woman with coronavirus in China tested negative Sunday for the respiratory disease. Medical workers at the hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University in Xi’an in China’s northwest Shaanxi Province, delivered the baby Sunday, according to reports.
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