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HEALTHCARE WORKER TESTS POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS

By NONDUDUZO KUNENE | 2020-04-09

A medical practitioner has tested positive for coronavirus together with a woman who had gone to hospital to deliver, taking the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases to 12.

Minister of Health Lizzie Nkosi confirmed two positive cases during her daily briefing held at Cabinet offices yesterday.

“The 11th case is that of a 44-year-old man from the Hhohho region, who is a clinician,” she said. The minister said the clinician did not have a history of travelling and the ministry was yet to confirm the source of transmission. She added that the clinician only presented himself with a fever with no other symptoms and was being managed under home-care. Nkosi said the ministry was already conducting contact tracing for all those who had been in contact with him in the past 14 days, including colleagues and clients.

The 12th case is of a 36-year-old female from the Manzini region, who does not have a history of travelling outside of the country, but was frequently in contact with a person who travels to South Africa. Nkosi said the woman had a mild cough without fever.

“She was tested on April 4, 2020,” she said. The woman gave birth to twins on Tuesday at RFM in Manzini. The minister stated, however that the babies did not have COVID-19.

Nkosi mentioned that she was taking all steps to ensure that all those who were in contact with the woman were being tested, including the health workers who were providing services as well as everyone who was admitted in the same ward with her.

“Local contacts for the woman are being traced,” she said.

The minister further announced that seven patients had tested negative and they had all been discharged from the isolation facility in Siteki.

Minister Nkosi mentioned that one of the patients was under home care, while the other six were discharged on Tuesday from the Lubombo Referral Hospital.

Nkosi emphasised on the importance of cooperating with health workers’ advices. She said all patients who hadbeen confirmed positive had a duty to comply with the expectations to be registered for care with the COVID-19 case management team under the ministry of health.

“Any person who had tested positive while he/she was out of the country and enters the country with the results is expected to declare their positive status by calling 977,” she said.

She urged all suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients to wear masks at all times.

Local COVID-19 testing lab operates from today

Minister Lizzie Nkosi has revealed that starting from today, Eswatini will be able to conduct COVID-19 tests in the country.

Yesterday, the minister said preparations to conduct coronavirus testing locally were progressing well, as local and external teams were finalising the testing protocols.

“Test runs now are being conducted at the National Reference Laboratory in Mbabane, which is now designated as a coronavirus testing facility,” she said. The minister said the lab would perform 60 to 100 tests per day.

She mentioned that results would be available within 24 hours. The minister hinted that as a start, some of the test results would be taken to the NICD in South Africa for purposes of quality control.

The local lab came at the time when the minister had previously stressed that the World Health Organisation regional laboratory in South Africa was unable to process tests within 24 hours as there they took more than 72 hours.

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