Kenyans urged to take precautionary measures against the Coronavirus

By Rose Achiego

Mombasa Archbishop, Most Rev. Martin Kivuva Musonde, has called on Kenyans to take precautionary measures to avoid contracting the Coronavirus.

Speaking during the Launch of the Lenten Campaign 2020 at the Marian Shrine, Subukia in Nakuru, Archbishop Kivuva urged people to pray for one another as the Coronavirus which is rapidly spreading and claiming lives may not be far away from Kenya.

Archbishop Kivuva said the Church is not taking the issue of the virus, which is threatening the lives of people throughout the world lightly. He called on doctors to stay alert and be prepared to deal with the disease and other diseases that affect Kenyans.

Kenyans on mainstream and social media have expressed fear of the presence of the Coronavirus in the country after a China Southern Airlines Flight CZ 6043 landed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) from Guangzhou, China, at 7:29am with 239 passengers on 26^th February, 2020. All the passengers were cleared to enter Kenya but advised to go on ‘self-quarantine’ for 14 days.

In a response to public concerns, the Ministry of Health on Thursday, 27^th February, 2020 through Health Chief Administrative Secretary Rashid Aman, said the passengers were asked to self-quarantine, adding that the ministry had already taken measures to keep the public safe.

On the other hand, the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified Kenya among 13 top priority countries that either have direct links or a high volume of travel to China.

In other news, President Uhuru Kenyatta has issued an Executive Order on the coronavirus, formed a national emergency response team and ordered the completion of an isolation centre at Mbagathi Hospital in Nairobi within 7 days.

Meanwhile, according to Vatican News, 400 cases of coronavirus have been diagnosed in Italy with 12 deaths reported. Most of the cases have been reported in the northern part of the country.

During a General Audience in St. Peter’s Square on Ash Wednesday, Pope Francis expressed his support for coronavirus sufferers.

“I wish, again, to express my closeness to those who are ill with coronavirus and to health care workers who are caring for them,” the Pope said.

Reports available online indicate that, the coronavirus is spreading in the Middle East, Europe and other parts of the world, as Brazil confirmed its first case in Latin America, while parts of China begin to lower their emergency response level as the number of new cases reported there continues to slow.

More deaths have been reported in Iran and Italy, while South Korea on Wednesday said an 11th person had died of the disease in the country.

Globally, at least 80,000 people have been diagnosed with the illness of which 78,000 cases are in China. Reported deaths are at 2,800 with 2,715 in China. Deaths in other countries are recorded at 44. 

According to WHO, “coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms — fever, cough, and shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.