MoH: Kenya’s COVID-19 curve likely to flatten in the next three weeks 

Kenya’s Ministry of Health is optimistic that the curve will flatten in the next three weeks as the number of people vaccinated against COVID-19 rises.

Although the number of positive cases has decreased in recent weeks, the need for oxygen remains strong, according to the ministry.

This came as the government issued an alert over the outbreak of a new variant in Latin America and the UK as the virus mutated, raising concern among health experts.

According to Dr. Patrick Amoth, acting Director General for Health, the number of people testing positive with COVID-19 has decreased considerably.

He attributed this to ongoing vaccination measures and the move to observe the laid down heath regulations.

“We have seen a decline in the new cases and we project that we shall flatten the curve in the next two to three weeks,” he said.

Dr.Amoth however noted that there were patients still admitted in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and High Dependency Units (HDU) in need of oxygen.

“Oxygen demands stand at 1,000 cases on a daily basis but we are seeing a positive trajectory in the numbers and we believe that we are on the right track,” he said.

On the new variant, he admitted that the Ministry is concerned after the virus was reported in Columbia and in the UK.

“We are keenly monitoring the situation as this new variant could lead to more complications or refuse to react to the vaccines,” he said.

Dr. Amoth was addressing the press in Lake Naivasha Resort during a meeting with all the Counties officers in charge of health to address emerging issues in the health sector.

“We are meeting officers from the World Health Organization to review how we reacted to the outbreak of Covid-19 which was declared a pandemic very late,” he said.

At the Naivasha sub-county hospital, the majority of those admitted in the isolation ward were male adults who had not received the vaccine.

According to the Superintendent in charge of the facility Dr Angeline Ithondeka, the fourth wave was more lethal and affected even the young compared to previous cases.

The doctor noted that the majority of those admitted had not received vaccines with only one case of a patient that had received the first dose admitted in the isolation ward.

“We have vaccinated all the health workers and police but currently we have run out of the doses despite a high demand from area residents,” she said.