Coronavirus: South Africa on high alert over possible outbreak

Coronavirus: South Africa on high alert over possible outbreak

South Africa’s health ministry says it is on “high alert” for possible coronavirus patients at the continent’s busiest airport.

No cases had been reported as of Thursday.

The outbreak has however killed at least 17 people and infected more than 600, most of them in China.

But South African Health Ministry spokesperson Dr. Lwazi Manzi told local media that officials are ready to react.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said it is conducting active surveillance to identify any potential imported cases.

Some 21 million travelers came through Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport in 2018.

It is the only airport in South Africa with direct flights to and from China, where the pneumonia-like virus originated.

“We are on high alert for any kind of situation that could pose a threat to an outbreak in this country. We wish to assure the public that so far there have been no cases reported of coronavirus in this country,” she told local radio in a statement.

She did not elaborate on the precautions, but the airport has implemented temperature testing and health screening at the airport during previous outbreaks of Ebola, Zika and other viruses, VOA reports.

In a statement, the NICD assured South Africans that there is no immediate threat.

“There is no evidence of sustained person-to-person transmission,” the statement reads.

“There are no direct flights from [the city of] Wuhan to South Africa. However, it is possible that individuals could travel to South Africa from Wuhan via other countries.”

The institute further noted that most cases were linked to a seafood, poultry and live wildlife market in Jianghan District, Hubei Province.

“This suggests that the novel coronavirus has a possible zoonotic origin,” said the NICD, meaning a virus is transmitted from animals to humans.

Tags:

coronavirus

Want to send us a story? Submit on Wananchi Reporting on the Citizen Digital App or Send an email to wananchi@royalmedia.co.ke or Send an SMS to 25170 or WhatsApp on 0743570000

Leave a Comment

Comments

No comments yet.

latest stories