Namibia on alert for coronavirus

The Namibian ministry of health has engaged protocols to detect, diagnose and contain the spread of coronavirus should it make its way to the country.

Health minister Kalumbi Shangula said on Monday that he had already alerted the country’s 14 regional health directorates and distributed guidelines on containment to these authorities.

“Close monitoring of the situation, with intensified surveillance, is under way, especially at the main international ports of entry to ensure prompt case detection and response”, he said.

The measures are in line with the World Health Organisation’s directive to strengthen prevention and control measures for the virus, a strain of coronavirus provisionally named 2019-nCOV. 

The virus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in Hubei province on New Year’s Day. There have since been over 2,700 confirmed cases in Hubei and 106 people have died. 

The Namibian public have been issued with other general precautions including regularly washing hands, covering the mouth when coughing or sneezing, and avoiding contact with infected persons.

Namibians are encouraged to seek treatment if there is any suspicion of possible infection, particularly if they have travelled to China in the past two weeks or been in contact with someone who has. 

Photo credit: AFP