The first case of coronavirus in South Africa has been confirmed, according to the country’s health minister.
Dr Zweli Mkhize said on Thursday that “the National Institute for Communicable Diseases confirmed that a suspected case of COVID-19 has tested positive.”
Mkhize said “the patient is a 38-year-old male who travelled to Italy with his wife. They were part of a group of 10 people and they arrived back in South Africa on March 1, 2020.
“The patient consulted a private general practitioner on March 3, with symptoms of fever, headache, malaise, a sore throat and a cough. The practice nurse took swabs and delivered it to the lab,” the minister added.
Mkhize also revealed that “The patient has been self-isolating since March 3. The couple also has two children. The Emergency Operating Centre (EOC) has identified the contacts by interviewing the patient and doctor.
The tracer team has been deployed to KwaZulu-Natal with epidemiologists and clinicians from NICD. The doctor has been self-isolated as well.”
FIRST CASE OF COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS REPORTED IN SA
Fellow South Africans
This morning, Thursday March 5, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases confirmed that a suspected case of COVID-19 has tested positive.#COVID19
— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) March 5, 2020
The latest report from South Africa now means Africa’s confirmed coronavirus cases has reached 27 as of Thursday.
Egypt (2), Algeria (17) and Nigeria (1) Tunisia (1) Morocco (1), South Africa (1) and Senegal (4) are the cases so far.
Source: Africafeeds.com
