Kampala 28th March 2020: Total number of confirmed #covid19 cases raises to 30.
This trend is worrying.
As of March, 02nd 2020, the government reported zero cases. Today, 28th March 2020, we have 30 reported covid cases in the country. Considering the state of the pandemic in other countries, Uganda is still doing great. But we cannot relax.
You are all advised to follow the government’s directives to stay at home. And to be extremely careful when you move out.
According to the Press Release by the Ministry of Health on 27th March 2020, four new cases tested positive for #covid19. And that one of the cases is “a 55-year old who arrived from Afghanistan on 26th March 2020 and is currently under quarantine.”
However, people in Hoima have said that the 55-year old has been working in Afghanistan and could have arrived in the country some days back. According to the information on social media, this 55-year-old travelled to Hoima town and stayed in a hotel for several nights hosting some female friends in his hotel room. He then travelled to Kampala in a taxi to and fro! This means the case could have been mixing with people.
I just hope these rumours are not true. I hope the Ministry of Health statement is the correct report. To this end, the government should issue a directive stopping any rumours or information about the state of #covid19 to reduce public anxiety and manage the information flow.
And the worst part is the increasing tendency to victimize patients. It is reported that people suspected to have the #coronavirus are quarantined at their own cost. And that you are isolated, and some don’t get help.
The Ministry of Health must come out and clarify the case management processes and the criteria for quarantining at a personal cost or the taxpayers’ cost. Leadership is most needed in times like these.
The easiest way to encourage self-reporting is by providing incentives to people who report themselves. Of course, those that make false reports should be handled accordingly. For example, if someone suspects having been exposed, they need to report immediately.
The worst thing the government would like to happen is losing track of suspected #covid19 cases. You don’t want a bad egg to mix up with the good eggs. The way viruses spread is like multiplying negative ones with any number – you get negative that number. If one person who is infected interacts with 30 people, you risk exposing all the 30 people to the virus!
Now Hoima is being mentioned more and more concerning this #covid19. Breaking news as of today has it that a patient suspected with #covid19 visited the referral hospital causing all patients to run away.
Going forward, the war against #covid19 requires vigilance and hygiene. Fellow Ugandans follow the directions issued by the government. Do not move out of your home.
For God and My Country.
Copyright Mustapha B Mugisa, 2020. All rights reserved
