• 13 tested, all negative, says Health ministry, vigilance necessary.
• State procures additional 5,000 items of personal protective equipment with support from the USAID.
Image: MUSEMBI NZENGU
At least 13 people have been tested for coronavirus in Kenya since the first suspected case last month — all tests were negative.
More than 2,000 have been killed by the virus, all but six on the Chinese mainland. More than 75,000 people have been infected, including 1,000 outside the mainland.
Members of the public are encouraged to remain vigilant as the risk is still high and are advised to continue taking the precautionary measures.Ministry of Health
Most of the suspects in Kenya were picked up from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport after landing from China, while the rest had already travelled to Mombasa, Kitui, and Nakuru.
The Ministry of Health said there were other false alerts that did not meet the World Health Organization's case criteria.
"Members of the public are encouraged to remain vigilant as the risk is still high and are advised to continue taking the precautionary measures," the ministry said in a statement.
It confirmed Kenya now has the capacity to test the virus at the National Influenza Centre and Kenya Medical Research Institute laboratories.
In Kenya, the ministry said, health workers in both public and private health facilities and at points of entry have been educated on how to deal with suspected cases.
"Some 500 care workers have been trained and additional health workers deployed at JKIA," the ministry said.
Isolation facilities have also been set up at Kenyatta National Hospital and Mbagathi District Hospital.
The ministry said it is consulting with private health facilities within Nairobi to provide additional isolation facilities in case the infections reported exceed KNH capacity.
The government has also procured an additional 5,000 personal protective items with support from the USAID.
Suspected cases in Kenya can be reported to the Health ministry through hotline numbers 0800721316, 0732353535, 0729471414.
On Wednesday, medics continued to insist on the importance of simple prevention measures, including frequent hand washing, and respiratory hygiene and safe food practices.
"The most important thing is to wash your hands with soap and water or with an alcohol sanitiser before and after contact with others who might be infected. Also, avoid coughing or being coughed on by others," said Prof Rodney Adam, chairman of the Infection Control Committee, at Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi.
WHO advised against close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections.
It advised governments to constantly communicate critical risk and information to all communities to counter misinformation.
There is no cure for coronavirus and most other viruses.
Most people will not require hospitalisation and with good medical care, most survive. Some people only get what seem to be colds or a mild flu.
Edited by R.Wamochie