It has emerged that Kilifi Deputy Governor Gideon Saburi who recently traveled from Germany on March 1st, tested positive for Coronavirus.
The news that has caused great fear amongst the residents and county officials has been brewing in the past few days.
DG who refused to adhere to the 14 days self quarantine directive having traveled from Berlin and a country with high infections, was eventually forced into isolation after which tests were done and confirmed him positive.
Governor Kingi confirmed the case saying that all the county staff who came into contact with the DG and others in the county that the DG has provided have been traced. They’re all under the mandatory isolation for 14 days after which medical follow ups shall be taken.
The Governor also said he already took the Coronavirus test, “I also came into direct contact with the patient and as the Coronavirus protocol demands, I have placed myself on self quarantine starting Thursday 19th March. Also, I had the emergency response unit visit me at my home to collect samples for testing. I got my results and they turned NEGATIVE.” Said the Governor.
Kingi will continue staying in self quarantine until the mandatory 14 days lapses.
Meanwhile, the deputy governor Gideon Saburi will face prosecution after he refused to self-isolate after arriving from Germany according to the CS Kagwe. He said this while making the announcement that lo international flights shall remain suspended. Also they anyone arriving in Kenya shall be subjected to a 14 day mandatory quarantine at a government facility.
Kenyan Coronavirus cases today went up by 8 bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 15. CS said all the cases were imported pushing the government to tighten border security and stop all international flights.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 22 March 2020 – Since the COVID-19 outbreak began, Emirates and dnata have been adapting operations in line with regulatory directives as well as travel demand.
The airline has aimed to maintain passenger flights for as long as feasible to help travellers return home amidst an increasing number of travel bans, restrictions, and country lockdowns across the world. It continues to maintain vital international air cargo links for economies and communities, deploying its fleet of 777 freighters for the transport of essential goods including medical supplies across the world.
With many of its airline customers dramatically reducing flights or ceasing services altogether, dnata has also significantly reduced its operations, including temporarily shutting some offices across its international network.
HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Group said: “The world has literally gone into quarantine due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This is an unprecedented crisis situation in terms of breadth and scale: geographically, as well as from a health, social, and economic standpoint. Until January 2020, the Emirates Group was doing well against our current financial year targets. But COVID-19 has brought all that to a sudden and painful halt over the past 6 weeks.
“As a global network airline, we find ourselves in a situation where we cannot viably operate passenger services until countries re-open their borders, and travel confidence returns. By Wednesday 25 March, although we will still operate cargo flights which remain busy, Emirates will have temporarily suspended all its passenger operations. We continue to watch the situation closely, and as soon as things allow, we will reinstate our services.
“Emirates Group has a strong balance sheet, and substantial cash liquidity, and we can, and will, with appropriate and timely action, survive through a prolonged period of reduced flight schedules, so that we are adequately prepared for the return to normality.”
Cost reduction measures
The Emirates Group has undertaken a series of measures to contain costs, as the outlook for travel demand remains weak across markets in the short to medium term. This includes:
Postponing or cancelling discretionary expenditure
A freeze on all non-essential recruitment and consultancy work
Working with suppliers to find cost savings and efficiency
Encouraging employees to take paid or unpaid leave in light of reduced flying capacity
A temporary reduction of basic salary for the majority of Emirates Group employees for three months, ranging from 25% to 50%. Employees will continue to be paid their other allowances during this time. Junior level employees will be exempt from basic salary reduction
Presidents of Emirates and dnata – Sir Tim Clark and Gary Chapman – will take a 100% basic salary cut for three months
On the decision to reduce basic salary, Sheikh Ahmed said: “Rather than ask employees to leave the business, we chose to implement a temporary basic salary cut as we want to protect our workforce and keep our talented and skilled people, as much as possible. We want to avoid cutting jobs. When demand picks up again, we also want to be able to quickly ramp up and resume services for our customers.
“The Emirates Group has strong liquidity, with a healthy cash position but it is prudent that it take steps to reduce costs at this time. Emirates remains committed to serving its markets and looks forward to resuming a normal flight schedule as soon as that is permitted by the relevant authorities.”
Safeguarding customers, employees, and communities
Emirates Group closely monitors the situation and keeps in regular contact with all relevant authorities, so that it can implement the latest guidance to keep travellers and its employees safe and healthy.
The company has strongly discouraged its employees from non-essential travel, implemented work from home policies for all employees where operationally feasible, enhanced cleaning and disinfection protocols at its facilities, introduced temperature screening at its key office entry points, and launched internal educational campaigns on hand hygiene and health practices to reduce risk of COVID-19.
Over the past weeks, the airline has also implemented enhanced cleaning and disinfecting measures on all of its aircraft departing Dubai as a precaution, and worked closely with airports to implement screening measures as required by the local authorities.
Frontline employees such as crew and airport teams have also been provided with support to stay safe while on duty, including providing hand sanitizers and masks where required.
The Emirates Group fully supports all initiatives to safeguard the health of communities in every market where it operates, including the UAE’s national COVID-19 response.
Sheikh Ahmed said: “These are unprecedented times for the airline and travel industry, but we will get through it. Our business is taking a hit, but what matters in the long run is that we do the right thing for our customers, our employees, and the communities we serve. With the support and unity that we have seen from our employees, partners, customers, and other stakeholders, I’m confident that Emirates can tackle this challenge and come out stronger.”
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Africa has received a much-needed coronavirus care package from Chinese billionaire Jack Ma.
A cargo flight containing more than 6 million medical items arrived Sunday in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. The supplies from Ma, the founder of China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba, will be distributed to African countries in need of supplies to battle the spreading COVID-19 pandemic.
An Ethiopian Airlines cargo flight from Guangzhou, China arrived with 5.4 million face masks, 1.08 million testing kits, 40,000 sets of protective clothing and 60,000 protective face shields, according to Ethiopian officials and the Jack Ma Foundation.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed last week pledged to distribute the supplies to other countries in Africa. Ma has sent similar shipments of medical supplies to countries in Asia, Europe, North America and Latin America.
The virus has been slow to reach Africa but has now spread to at least 42 of the continent’s 54 countries, with more than 1,100 cases confirmed. In response many African countries are imposing restrictions.
Rwanda and Tunisia have announced lockdowns, ordering people to stay at home except for essential reasons.
Kenya has banned public gatherings but has permitted normal church services to continue as long as hand sanitizing or washing facilities are provided to worshipers.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country with 190 million people, just three weeks ago announced the first coronavirus case in sub-Saharan Africa. Now with 22 cases, it stopped all incoming international flights on Saturday.
Ethiopian Airlines and South African Airways, two of Africa’s largest airlines, announced sweeping cancellations of international flights. South Africa has stopped allowing foreigners to disembark from incoming international flights.
Although most people only experience minor flu-like symptoms from the coronavirus and recover within a few weeks, the virus is highly contagious and can be spread by those who do not show symptoms. It can cause severe illness, including pneumonia, in some patients, particularly those with underlying health problems. This poses a threat to many African health systems, which experts warn do not have sufficient resources to cope with a large influx of patients needing isolation and intensive care.
Fear and panic has gripped not only the Kilifi County Government offices but the residents as well. This follows the fears that the DG who had traveled to Germany and has been back in the county since 1st March, could’ve been infected with the deadly virus.
Concerns were raised that the DG despite shaving traveled from a high rate infected country, Germany, allegedly refused to quarantine himself for the mandatory 14 days.
Locals took to the social media to condemn the deputy governor, referring to him as a “selfish and irresponsible leader” who has put the lives of many Kilifi residents at risk.
This was after some residents claimed they interacted with Mr Saburi, shook hands and even hugged him after his return from Germany.
After landing from Berlin, the DG developed complications and had sought treatment in Mombasa at one of the leading private hospitals. He was admitted for three days.
He then went about with his normal business, attending meetings and other functions including women’s international day, funeral and many others.
Governor Kingi is said to have warned the DG against traveling to Germany at a time when the country had been flagged but the appetite for per diem couldn’t hold him back.
On his return, the Governor again asked him to self quarantine but he defied. Fear gripped mostly executive members of the county who suspected having been infected since they interacted with him on several occasions.
Standing his ground not to self quarantine, it took the intervention of the DCI to literally arrest him and put him in isolation with his driver. He’s believed to being held at Mbagathi Hospital. “Today, we have been forced to quarantine an individual in Kilifi County after refusing to do so, on arrival from abroad. And we will continue doing so to protect other Kenyans from the contagious virus,” Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said while confirming the incident.
Health officials fumigating the DG’s office.
Governor Kingi in conversations seen by Kenya Insights, is a angry man over the recklessness shown by the DG and exposing not only the staff of the county but many residents that he interacted with by the chain link.
Government is currently tracing those that the DG might have interacted with to put them in quarantine.
A women caused a stir at the Kitui Referral Hospital when she walked in wearing a face mask. The lady claimed she suspected to have been infected after her boyfriend tested positive.
Staff members at the reception took off under panic after she had explained her case.
Kitui Chief in charge of health Richard Muthoka confirmed the lady’s visit to the hospital, but allayed fears that she was infected.
The woman who lived in Kitui got concerned when her boyfriend who left for the UK three weeks ago, informed her that he had been diagnosed with the virus.
The lady was however turned away by the staff and told to come back the next day for her samples be taken for testing. The story is developing.
My family lives in the Veneto, in Northern Italy, one of the regions worst-hit by the coronavirus. We are on lockdown. It’s scary. It’s lonely. It’s uncomfortable. And did I mention scary?
I’ll spare you the statistics and the sermons; both are already abundant. But I do want to make one thing clear: If you think that by stocking up your pantries you have absolved yourself from the responsibility of preparing for this virus, you are mistaken. This is a crisis like none before. Be sceptical of both naysayers and doomsayers; there’s no way of knowing how this will end.
The restrictions came upon us slowly but steadily. Within two weeks, our old lives were gone.
First the schools closed, then came social distancing. Then the Government locked down the hardest-hit areas: no more going in and out of certain provinces; limited movements within the “red zones.” Then the whole country shut down. Most stores closed their doors.
People who could were asked to work from home; those who could not, and did not have a job related to the continuation of essential services, were placed on part-time schedules or on unpaid leave.
When we went out, we had to carry a pass explaining our reasons for being outside to show to the law enforcement officers patrolling the streets. The priority became keeping everyone inside, at all times.
For some people, the gradual rollout made these measures hard to accept: Sceptical observers questioned the seriousness of the disease, given that the restrictions were not draconian from the start.
And yet without time to adjust to a progressive loss of freedom, we wouldn’t have accepted it. We might have rebelled. Instead, we rallied, coming together as one – protecting one another’s health, even as we could no longer socialise.
Living under these conditions is difficult to describe.
We can leave the house only out of medical necessity or to get food. We can go on short walks but not in groups.
We can’t hug, kiss or shake hands with anyone outside of our family. We must stay at least 1.2m from everyone else at all times.
My family tries to maintain a routine: In the mornings, I home-school our four children, who range in age from kindergarten to the eighth grade, while my husband works from home.
My eldest son’s school was the best prepared for distance learning, and began remote lessons from the very first week of the lockdown. He gets live lessons, homework, regular interaction with his teachers – and just as importantly, regular interaction with friends, which lessens his sense of isolation.
It’s great, really, but it also requires a dedicated laptop and bandwidth from 8.10am to 2.45pm every day, limiting what everyone else can do online. My other children’s schools, which shut down at the same time, started distance learning only this week.
In the afternoon, my husband and I both work as best we can while the kids keep themselves busy.
With guitars we had on hand, and a drum set they built from scratch, they’re putting together a garage band. (Literally – they have to stay in the garage, and can’t practice or perform anywhere else.)
For the first time in my life, I’ve come to think that having four children sometimes can be less work than having one or two: They can entertain one another.
A timeline of COVID-19 as the number of confirmed cases increases in New Zealand and around the world.
Counterintuitively, the days somehow end incredibly quickly. We are always doing something: organising lessons, fighting with a malfunctioning printer or over our overloaded WiFi, tutoring each child one-on-one, getting the kids outside, feeding them, drinking coffee ourselves, repeat.
When, after two or three days, we can’t take the confinement anymore, one of us makes a run to the grocery store to buy fruit and vegetables and whatever else we need. (The stores, at least, are well stocked.) We go out by bike to get some exercise. That, too, is a challenge, because we are always tired.
Deserted streets in Italy.
My mother and sisters, my little niece, my aunt and cousins live in Lombardy, the region worst affected by the pandemic. If my mother, who is 81 (or almost, as she would point out) catches this virus, she will most likely die.
I speak to and text with them frequently, but I don’t know when, or if, I will be able to see them next.
It’s bizarre: Everyone is going through the same emotions – fear, anger, exhaustion – no matter where we live or what we do. We don’t need many words to know how the other person feels. We end every call with “Forza!” We must keep going.
Yes, most people who catch this will survive. Yes, people under 45 will probably be fine.
But right now, doctors across Northern Italy have to choose between who gets the respirator and lives, and who does not, and dies.
Italy’s health system, for all its shortcomings – the long waits for certain tests, some aging buildings, the sometimes crowded hospital wards – is among the best-performing in the Western world.
A 2017 report by the World Health Organisation, for example, reported that Italian healthcare has among the lowest mortality rates in Europe, and a strong acute-care sector. And yet this virus has overwhelmed the health system of one of the richest areas of the European Union.
Statistics change daily as the hospitals scramble to build capacity.
On March 12, there were only 137 intensive-care beds open for new coronavirus patients in all of Lombardy; the region is home to 10 million people, and as of this writing, 16,220 people have tested positive for the disease.
Doctors wheeling away a Coronavirus patient.
Depending on how many coronavirus patients go in or out of the hospitals on any given day, if you have a chronic condition or a heart attack or are in a car crash, you might not be able to access care.
You can do a lot more. You should do a lot more. Stay away from restaurants, gyms, libraries, movie theaters, bars and cafes, yes.
But also: Don’t invite people over for dinner, don’t let your kids go on playdates, don’t take them to the playground, don’t let your teenagers out of your sight.
They will sneak out with their friends, they will hold hands, they will share their drinks and food. If this seems too much, consider the following: We are not allowed to hold weddings nor funerals. We can’t gather to bury our dead.
For us, it might be too late to avoid an incredible loss of life. But if you decide against taking actions because it seems inconvenient, or because you don’t want to look silly, you can’t say you weren’t warned.
Ida Garibaldi lives in Vicenza, Italy.
Original version of this article was first published on the Washington Post.
(Reuters) – Four government ministers in Burkina Faso have tested positive for the coronavirus, a government spokesman said on Saturday, as the number of reported cases rose to 64 from 40, the highest in West Africa.
The ministers of foreign affairs, mines, education, and the interior have all tested positive in recent days, the spokesman said.
“The rumour has become reality … I have just been notified that I have COVID-19,” foreign affairs minister Alpha Barry said in a tweet late on Friday, referring to media reports that had speculated about his health.
The minister of mines Oumarou Idani, minister of education Stanislas Ouaro and interior minister Simeon Sawadogo each confirmed their cases via Facebook posts.
A ministerial meeting was held on March 11, the government’s website shows, but it was not immediately clear if all the ministers attended.
The Italian ambassador to Burkina Faso Andrea Romussi has also been infected, he told Reuters, as has a high profile pastor, the health ministry said.
Burkina Faso is struggling with a jihadist insurgency that has rendered half its arid territory ungovernable and forced nearly a million people to flee their homes.
International health officials worry that the virus could spread out of control and overwhelm the threadbare healthcare system in one of the world’s poorest countries.
The government has put measures in place to stop the spread, including closing land and air borders and banning gatherings of more than 50 people.
But ahead of a suspension of religious ceremonies on Friday, Ouagadougou’s central mosque was filled with hundreds of worshippers packed together for prayers. The imam, Sourwilla Mohamadi, gave a sermon wearing a protective mask that was ripped open at the mouth.
Burkina Faso reported its first case of Covid-19 on March 9, 10 days after the first case in sub-Saharan Africa was announced in Nigeria on Feb 28.
Some 40 nations across the continent have reported more than 700 cases of the coronavirus while worldwide more than 270,000 cases have been reported and more than 11,000 deaths, according to a Reuters tally.
A Kenyan student from Dallas, US has been quarantined in Kitale after showing Coronavirus-like symptoms.
Word went around in Gatua village that a student had returned from the US on Thursday and was exhibiting the symptoms; fever and incessant coughing on Friday.
Area residents then informed the chief and alerted the public health officials.
Specimen were taken from the student and sent to the influenza lab for testing. Meanwhile both the student and his family have since been put in isolation.
Kenya has put in place stringent requirements for containing the virus including a 14 day self quarantine for everyone coming from abroad and not to use public transport from the airport. It’s therefore a question for investigators to figure out how he traveled from Nairobi to Kitale to figure out his contacts should the case turn out positive.
All Kenyan COVID-19 cases have been confirmed as imported from US, Spain, UK. Many countries are now closing their borders as the contagious virus continues to ravage the continent.
Kenya has so far confirmed seven positive cases of the COVID-19 disease whose global figures stood at 276,474 as of Saturday morning.
Total number of deaths worldwide is 11,417 and recovered cases are 91,954.
(AFP) Aches and pains, sore throat, fever – although they may feel similar to those suffering from their symptoms, the novel coronavirus is not the same as the seasonal flu, experts stressed Wednesday.
COVID-19, the illness caused by coronavirus, proves deadly in around 3.5 percent of confirmed cases.
While this is not the same as its mortality rate, given many people may be infected but not realise it, it is significantly higher than seasonal flu, which typically kills 0.1 percent of patients.
“There is still considerable uncertainty around the fatality rates of COVID-19 and it likely varies depending on the quality of local healthcare,” said Francois Balloux, Professor of Computational Systems Biology at University College London.
“That said, it is around two percent on average, which is about 20 times higher than for the seasonal flu lineages currently in circulation.”
Serious cases
But the true danger of coronavirus is unlikely to be the death toll. Experts say health systems could easily become overwhelmed by the number of cases requiring hospitalisation – and, often ventilation to support breathing.
An analysis of 45,000 confirmed cases in China, where the epidemic originated, show that the vast majority of deaths were among the elderly (14.8 percent mortality among over 80s).
But another Chinese study showed that 41 percent of serious cases occurred among under 50s, compared with 27 percent among over 65s.
“It’s true that if you’re older you’re at greater risk, but serious cases can also happen in relatively young people with no prior conditions,” said French deputy health minister Jerome Salomon.
Contagiousness
Disease experts estimate that each COVID-19 sufferer infects between two to 3 others.
That’s a reproduction rate up to twice as high as seasonal flu, which typically infects 1.3 new people for each patient.
Vaccine/treatment
Salomon said that humans have lived with influenza for more than 100 years.
“We’ve studied it closely,” he said. “This new virus resembles the flu in terms of physical symptoms but there are huge differences.”
Number one is the lack of a vaccine against COVID-19, or even any treatment shown to be consistently effective.
While some trials have shown promise delivering anti-retroviral drugs to serious cases, as well as some experimental therapies, their sample sizes are too small to roll out to the general population.
Hundreds of researchers around the world are working frantically to find a COVID-19 vaccine, but the development process takes months and is likely too late for the current outbreak.
Even if a vaccine magically appeared, getting everyone access it to it is no small order. Health authorities regularly complain that not enough people receive the flu vaccine to guarantee “herd immunity”.
Similarities
But the new virus does share some characteristics with flu, notably the measures each one of us can personally take to slow the infection rate:
Avoid shaking hands, frequently wash your hands with soap and water, avoid touching your face and wear a mask if you are sick.
Such actions can limit new infections just as they can with the flu, gastro illnesses and other infectious diseases.
France’s health ministry says that only two in 10 people regularly wash their hands after using the bathroom.
“And only 42 percent of people cover their mouth with an elbow or tissue when they cough or sneeze,” it added, not encouragingly.
Covid-19 random screening for members of the public kicks off. The team is currently visiting high density areas of Nairobi CBD namely Muthurwa, Gikomba markets, Tea Room, Machakos bus stop.
Those with temperatures of 38 degrees will have history taken and if necessary referred for further assessment.
This follows the directive of the government issued by Health CS Mutahi Kagwe. The increased screening is meant to determine the exact extent of prevalence of the virus.
As of Friday updates from the government, total number of confirmed cases still stands at 7.
Of the 7 patients, six are Kenyans and a Burundian, whom the CS said are “doing well under the observation of the Ministry of Health and Kenyatta National Hospital staff.”
All the cases were imported.
He said the 7 are being re-tested to see whether they have turned negative.
Tests on 8 people at the Mbagathi Hospital’s isolation facility had turned out negative and were being processed for discharge.
The CS said the Government had traced 145 people who came into contact with positive cases to ensure they are quarantined.
“We have screed over 600,000 people who have entered our country from our entry points,” he said.
As of the time of this post, there 269,958 confirmed cases and 11,260 reported deaths of Coronavirus globally with no death nor recovery reported in Kenya yet.
Elsewhere, President Uhuru Kenyatta hosted a prayer service at State House, Nairobi to mark the National Day of Prayer on Coronavirus pandemic. The Service was led by a cross-section of religious leaders and is being broadcast live on all leading media stations.
The spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) is the most serious global health security threat in decades.
With restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the virus, how will communities without a SAFETY net navigate these times?
Tazama World, a community focused journalism initiative led by their editor James Smart went on a mission to find out just how much COVID-19 has impacted and found out the community is being pushed to the edge. Some of the reactions are as follows;
Joyce Omondi, 42, Hotel Owner.
With a business that has 8 workers, serving 600 people in a day, she says her customers have reduced to 150. Her income has plummeted from 15K to 3K.
“We hope this ends quickly and that GOK people know what they are doing in handling this crisis.”
Joyce at her hotel.
Josphat Musyoka – 54 years, Boda Boda rider
As it so happens, riders are refusing to share helmets, Musyoka says this has introduced a new extortion scheme by police. They demand 500 per ride.
“Customers want their own helmets and to be assured that we have fumigated them.”
Josphat Musyoka.
Christopher Otieno Juma- 50 Years Carpenter.
“Before news of the Virus, I used to make 150k a month. We have the capacity to make 10 beds a week. At the moment, we only have 3 beds on order, after this, we have no new orders.”
Christopher at work.
Mary Anyango- 29. Beautician
“Since last week I have got no phone calls from my regular customers. I have tried to call them to find out especially those who I normally work for but they have gone cold.”
Mary attending to a customer.
Philemon Okello, 48, Tailor
“Usually, I would be at my customers’ offices in the morning doing fittings and receiving orders, our business relationship has been like this for years.
I don’t know how to access my customers now that they are working from home.”
Philemon armed with his hand wash soap.
Elizabeth Wanjiku – 41. Mama Mboga
“Stocks are reducing in some items like cabbages, tomatoes, and fruits. Suppliers are telling us that the routes have been affected because some of these things come out of the country.”
Elizabeth during her interview with James Smart.
Michael Owino- 47, Cobbler
“On a good day, I can make between 500 to 700 per day. My income today is 240, truth is it’s not going to keep me afloat for a long time.”
Michael at work.
Irene Otieno- 35, Omena businesswoman
“I sell Omena for Ksh. 30 there’s no way my customers are switching the mode of payment to MPESA so ill take the money and hope for the best. I have children to feed.”
Irene Otieno at her kiosk.
Winfred Kalori – 40 Hotel Owner
“My profits have plummeted to 500 per day from 3,000 shillings. If this continues I may have to let go, my two employees, since I don’t see how to keep this going for long.”
Kalori enduring the hand wash is available for her customers.
New evidence from Europe and the U.S. suggests that younger adults aren’t as impervious to the novel coronavirus that’s circulating worldwide as originally thought.
Despite initial data from China that showed elderly people and those with other health conditions were most vulnerable, young people — from twenty-somethings to those in their early forties — are falling seriously ill. Many require intensive care, according to reports from Italy and France. The risk is particularly dire for those with ailments that haven’t yet been diagnosed.
“It may have been that the millennial generation, our largest generation, our future generation that will carry us through for the next multiple decades, here may be a disproportional number of infections among that group,” Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said in a press conference on Wednesday, citing the reports.
The data bears out that concern. In Italy, the hardest hit country in Europe, almost a quarter of the nearly 28,000 coronavirus patients are between the ages of 19 and 50, according to data website Statista.
Similar trends have been seen in the U.S. Among nearly 2,500 of the first coronavirus cases in the U.S., 705 were aged 20 to 44, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Between 15% and 20% eventually ended up in the hospital, including as many as 4% who needed intensive care. Few died.
Credit: U.S. Centers for Disease Control of Prevention
One of those younger adults is Clement Chow, an assistant professor of genetics at the University of Utah. “I’m young and not high risk, yet I am in the ICU with a very severe case,” Chow said in a March 15 tweet. “We really don’t know much about this virus.”
According to his Twitter posts, Chow had a low-grade fever for a few days and then a bad cough that led to respiratory failure. It turned out to be the coronavirus. He ended up on high flow oxygen in the ICU. When he arrived last Thursday, he was the first patient there. “Now there are many more,” he tweeted.
Chow didn’t give his age in the tweets, but his laboratory website indicates he graduated from college in 2003 and has two unruly children. He didn’t respond to an email and Bloomberg was unable to independently confirm his status as a patient.
It’s true that risk of death climbs precipitously with age. While there were only 144 patients over age 85, as many as 70% were hospitalized and 29% needed intensive care, according to the CDC report. One in four died, the agency said in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Yet emerging evidence suggests that infants and toddlers may also be at risk of severe complications. In a study of more than 2,000 young children with Covid-19 from China, published this week in Pediatrics, Chinese doctors found that about 11% of cases in infants were judged to be severe or critical, as were 7% of those in toddlers and preschoolers. While still a lower rate of severe disease than adults, it’s hardly insignificant.
In the White House press conference Wednesday, President Donald Trump implored younger people to stop reckless behavior, such as partying, going to the beach and hanging out at bars. Yet, as college campuses across the country close down and require students to leave, even the most conscientious young adults face a difficult choice. Finding their academic years abbreviated and graduation plans shattered, many are driving or flying home, where they risk exposing their parents and grandparents to Covid-19.
Credit: U.S. Centers for Disease Control of Prevention
The same concerns apply to young people starting out in big cities who suddenly find themselves under pressure to head back to their hometowns. Livia Calari’s father has been begging her to come home for weeks. The 25-year-old and her boyfriend live in Brooklyn, New York, and have been nervously watching the warnings from officials intensify and the city they live in shut down. But they’re staying put, for now at least.
The couple has two cats they’d have to move. If they did hunker down with Calari’s father in Washington, D.C., they would be asked to self-quarantine on a separate floor for two weeks. Plus, the thought of accidentally bringing the virus worries them.
“I have a lot of anxiety, maybe irrationally, about bringing it to him,” Calari said of her father, who’s 65. “I would feel awful.”
After days of thinking over their options, they decided to stay in New York and re-evaluate if a lockdown gets to the point where they can’t even leave their apartment to take walks.
Stay Home
Infection-fighting officials are willing to go to unusual lengths to get the word out to young people where they congregate, including on the Pardon My Take podcast from Barstool Sports – one of the most popular sports shows with younger listeners.
Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute on Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told the hosts how stressful the outbreak has been.
“You cannot imagine,’’ he said. “You see what happened in China, you see what’s happening in Italy. We have the virus in the United States, and we want to make sure by our efforts that we don’t have that degree of disease and suffering that we are seeing in other countries.’’
And he called on young people to embrace the effort to protect themselves and the broader population.
“No one is invulnerable, but even if you are doing very well, you have to be a very important part of our national effort to contain the outbreak,’’ Fauci said. “You are not a passive person in this. You are an important part of the active plan to contain this epidemic. We really do need you. This isn’t something that can be successful without you.”
Boris Johnson has ordered cafes, pubs, bars, restaurants and gyms to close from tonight in a bid to stop the spread of coronavirus.
The prime minister also said clubs, leisure centres and theatres should also close their doors
During his daily news conference he acknowledged that people may be tempted to go out on Friday night but urged people to stay at home.
“You’re sacrifice [by social distancing and self-isolation] means we are putting the country in a better and stronger position and we will be able to save thousands of lives,” said Mr Johnson.
The Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the government would step in to pay people’s wages, with grants that will cover 80% of the salaries of retained workers – up to £2,500 a month.
He urged businesses to look at government support before laying off workers.
It comes after the total number of people who have died in the UK after contracting COVID-19 rose to 177 after England saw 39 more deaths – the biggest rise in a day.
There were 3,269 confirmed cases in the UK recorded by Thursday evening – that figure will be updated later today.
During Thursday’s press conference, Mr Johnson said the UK “can turn the tide” against coronavirus in the next 12 weeks – but subsequently admitted the government “don’t know how long” the crisis will last for.
He also revealed the government is in talks to buy “hundreds of thousands” of tests to reveal if people are immune.
Scientists have advised that social measures will need to be in place for most of a year in order to control the spread of the virus, which has infected nearly 250,000 people worldwide.
More than 10,000 people have died around the world after contracting the virus.
Love him or hate him, one thing about Museveni is his charm to deliver stiff measures on a lighter note. During his first address on the Coronavirus where he announced the country is yet to confirm any case, he cracked up many.
As a preventive measure, Museveni announced the banning of all social gatherings including entertainment joints, “The merry-making, discos, dances, bars, sports, music shows, cinemas, and concerts. These are very dangerous gathering points with the virus around. Drunkards sit close to one another. They are a danger to themselves. All these are suspended for a month.” He declared.
Museveni also closed all the schools. During his address, he suspended travels to category one countries that have already been flagged with high Coronavirus cases. However, on foreigners residing in Uganda and planning to traveling and Ugandans outside planning to travel to the country, Museveni said, “Foreignersgoing to those countries are free to go provided they are not returning. We cannot stop Ugandans from returning home but they have to go through quarantine.”
“Ugandans coming back from abroad will not be stopped, but they will be placed under quarantine at their own cost. Foreigners going out cannot be stopped from doing so either provided they are not coming back within 32 days.” He continued.
True to his words, Ugandans immigration officials are already implementing the directives that are meant to stop the passage of the virus into the country.
As seen in the video below, passengers arriving were allocated different hotels to stay according to countries of origin. More to it, they are compelled to foot all the bills including the police security whom will ensure they don’t leave the mandatory quarantine space until the 14 days lapses. Those who can’t afford are told to return back.
The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has today released Shs 7.4 billion to support Government efforts to contain the spread of Coronavirus in the country.
Speaking at State House, Nairobi, during President Kenyatta’s meeting with the private sector, CBK Governor Dr Patrick Njoroge said the money was gained from the mop-up of the old 1000 shillings bank notes.
“As you recall in September last year we concluded the demonetization of our currency relating to our old generation one thousand bank notes. That matter was concluded and as a result of that, Shs 7.4 billion worth of bank notes never came back to the system.
“That money would have been held by people who, for whatever reason, did not want to subject themselves to the checks that were in place. So most likely this was money that might have been illicitly acquired through the various channels that we have talked about in other forums,” the CBK Governor said.
Dr Njoroge said the bank is giving back the money to boost the government’s efforts to combat the Coronavirus pandemic.
President Kenyatta thanked CBK for the contribution and directed Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yattani to ensure the money is used to support Kenyans to overcome the current health crisis.
“That money goes to help our health facilities and our health workers,” the President said.
He added: “That again is something we appreciate and this is what I mean when I say Kenyans working together can achieve miracles.”
During the meeting, the President announced a further Shs 1 billion allocation by the Government for hiring of more health workers needed to increase the country’s capacity to deal with the Coronavirus pandemic.
He said the additional funds will ensure the government brings on board enough manpower to support those already in the field working to save lives.
The President’s meeting with the private sector representatives discussed a raft of other measures being taken to cushion the country from the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Key among the interventions is an announcement by the Head of State that outstanding VAT refunds and pending bills would be settled within 30 days.
The President said VAT refunds and settlement of pending bills will help improve cash flow and keep businesses afloat.
“Critically, we all recognize that the volume of business has gone down. We need to ensure that we have cash flow to be able to keep ourselves afloat as we go through these trying times,” the President said.
He said the Government had lifted a ban on its entities from holding conferences and seminars in private hotels so as to keep the hospitality sector vibrant.
“As you are well aware we had put a ban on government officials holding meetings in hotels and said only government institutions are the ones to host various seminars by government.
“Again we have lifted that temporarily until this is over so that our hotel beds get occupancy and you in turn are able to keep your workers employed,” the President said.
Once again, the President thanked the media for its leading role in information dissemination and public health education on the Coronavirus pandemic.
He said the media had distinguished itself as a valuable partner in efforts to contain the spread of the virus.
Following yesterday’s directive, the Head of State said the Government had released 400,000 litres of ethanol, impounded by the multi-agency team on contraband goods, to oil companies for the blending of hand sanitizers to be distributed free of charge to the public.
On its part, the private sector, through the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) Chairman Nick Nesbitt and CEO Carole Kariuki, committed to continue protecting Kenyan employees against job losses and safeguarding SMEs from the adverse effects the current crisis by ensuring business and supply chain continuity.
The private sector further committed to prioritize the health and safety of employees, communities and health workers through increased Corporate Social Responsibility activities. The meeting was attended by several Cabinet Secretaries among other senior Government officials.
Earlier, the President held talks with representatives of the Export Processing Zones (EPZ) Apparel and Textile Sector during which he commended the sector for their efforts in minimizing job losses during this crisis period.
Could the Covid-19 pandemic be the impetus that accelerates the adoption of digital solutions? Could the global economic devastation from the worldwide outbreak be the catalyst that ultimately leads to the embrace of the Fourth Industrial Revolution?
As the Covid-19 outbreak forces the cancellation of trips, large gatherings and a slowdown in manufacturing, the economic damage is mounting across the world.
The call for social distancing has resulted in universities suspending lectures, churches halting services and many companies formulating plans on how to safeguard their employees. Schools have brought mid-term breaks forward with the intent of running catch-up classes when they resume.
The effects of Covid-19 have also left supply chains around the world disrupted. China’s industrial output contracted at the sharpest pace in 30 years, as workers were told to stay home, falling by 13.5% in January and February 2020, according to Reuters. Worldwide, a delay in the fulfilment of orders is being felt as companies like Apple reduce their revenue growth forecast.
In all this despair, digital solutions are rising to save the day. As business and schools ramp up their disaster management plans, turning to the use of smart technologies seems to be the only way to keep essential services running. The technology early adopters have been able to make a more straightforward switch as their customers are already used to online services like getting statements, paying bills and customer support. Those companies are fast opting for employees, who were in open-plan environments, to rather work from home.
The star of the show has been technologies like 3D printing, helping to support industrial supply chains that are affected by limitations on traditional production and imports. A good example is in Italy where Brescia (near one of the hardest-hit regions for Covid-19 infections), urgently needed Venturi valves for an intensive-care device which the supplier could not provide in a short time. Additive manufacturing firm, Isinnova, came to the rescue. They brought a 3D printer directly to the hospital and, in just a few hours, redesigned and then produced the missing piece.
China has been using drones to ensure medical samples and quarantine materials can travel with minimal risk to high-risk areas to reduce contact between samples and personnel and improve delivery speed.
Universities with online programmes continue with their academic year instead of entirely suspending classes. Sadly, these are few and far between in South Africa. Schools are limited in their ability to leverage technology, as not all students have devices or data. This constraint has magnified the South African digital divide.
No one knows what the total socioeconomic impact of Covid-19 will be, however, the prediction is recovery will be slow. As markets are reconfigured across the world as a result of the economic devastation, a new digital world will emerge. Digitisation will no longer be a consideration for someday in the future, but rather an imperative as organisations grapple with how to future-proof themselves.
The Covid-19 outbreak is an opportunity for South Africa to accelerate all Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) plans. Late adopters can no longer afford to wait-and-see lest another crisis hits. The digital divide must be addressed and technology adoption accelerated so we can readily face the next challenge.
Perhaps we will also see South African companies leading in 4IR solutions and rise to save the day. Perhaps our proudly South African drone operators will assist the government to deliver test kits to remote locations or our robotics companies will make their robots available in isolation wards to limit human contact.
The opportunities are endless.
Karabo Moloko is the CEO of unLeash Institute, a strategy execution and digital transformation consultancy.
We’re receiving so much information on the daily concerning how to tackle COVID-19 and it can become overwhelming. We’ve therefore decided to address the queries and information one piece at a time, beginning with the social-distancing phenomenon.
Social distancing is the practice of purposefully reducing close contact between people. This includes:
remaining out of congregate settings as much as possible (stay out f the clubs!),
avoiding mass gatherings (don’t go to places of worship, but rather pray in your homes),
and maintaining distance of about 6 feet from others when possible.
So actually it is physical distancing and using different means to continue social contact.
Also ReadMachakos County PSVs hike fare amidst Covid-19 outbreak.
Social distancing is crucial for preventing the spread of contagious illnesses such as COVID-19, since these viruses are spread by coughing, sneezing and close contact. By minimizing the amount of close contact we have with others, we reduce our chances of catching the virus and spreading it to our loved ones and within our community.
There are many ways you can continue to connect with friends and family: phone calls, text messages, emails and video chats are all great virtual options. Maintain these alternative ways of staying connected is a good way to take care of your emotional health and remain sane.
Social distancing is important for all of us, but those of us who are at a higher risk of serious complications caused by COVID-19 should be especially cautious about distancing. People who are at high risk of complications include adults greater than 65 years of age, and people who have serious chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes and lung disease. If there are high surges in the number of COVID-19 cases all at once, health care systems and resources could potentially become overwhelmed. Efforts that help stop COVID-19 from spreading rapidly – like social distancing – help keep the number of people who are sick at one time as low as possible.
The best time to begin social distancing is before an illness like coronavirus becomes widespread throughout your community. At all places (when possible),keeping about 6 feet of distance between yourself and others is key. Simply stay at home.
Lamu County commissioner Irungu Macharia has confirmed that an Italian man has been quarantined at Siha Hospital, Mpeketoni after seeking treatment for fever.
The Italian, 74, is said to have fallen sick on Thursday after which he sought treatment at a private facility where he was diagnosed with high fever.
The man, who normally lives at his residential house in Mpeketoni with his Kenyan wife, was isolated immediately because of his recent travel history.
It was established that between March 3 and 4 this year, he travelled by Ethiopian Airlines from Rome, Italy, to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
He then travelled to Mombasa and finally to Malindi via a local flight before connecting to Mpeketoni by road.
