COVID-19 CASES NOW 15, EIGHT DISCHARGED 

MBABANE – The numbers continue to rise. Eswatini has recorded a 15th case of a person who tested positive for the coronavirus.

Through a press statement issued by Minister of Health Lizzie Nkosi yesterday, the latest case is that of a 59-year-old man from the Manzini Region. The patient, according to the ministry, presented with a fever, flu and lower respiratory tract symptoms.

“He has been evacuated to the COVID-19 treatment facility,” reads the statement.
The treatment facility is the Lubombo Referral Hospital in Siteki.
Patient number 15, according to the ministry, had no history of travel and as a result, the ministry is already doing contact tracing for all who have been in contact with him for the last 14 days.

The minister said yesterday it had received 15 results, of which 14 were negative. The latest patient is the oldest in the country to have been infected with the disease while the youngest is a 14-year-old boy. Nkosi said at the end of last Sunday, a total of 714 samples had been collected for testing in the country of which 15 tested positive, 555 negative while 71 were rejected.

According to the minister, 73 results were still pending.  She said a total of eight cases had since been discharged after testing negative in their follow-up tests for the coronavirus, which is also known as COVID-19.

“Two cases have not yet been cleared for not fulfilling the discharge criteria, which is having a negative result on two consecutive follow-up tests for the coronavirus,” she said. The ministry emphasised the importance of cooperating with health advice where all patients who have been confirmed positive have a duty to comply with the expectation to be registered for care with the COVID-19 Case Management team.

Status

She stated that any person who tested positive from outside the country and entered Eswatini was expected to declare their positive status and results by calling 977. “The public is requested to cooperate with rapid response teams as they go about their duties finding contacts of positive cases,” she said.
She added that all suspected and confirmed cases of COVID-19 should were a mask and isolate themselves from others.

In an earlier statement, the minister had reported that on Sunday a total of 21 people all received their negative test results of the coronavirus. 
“The Ministry of Health wishes to emphasise the importance of cooperating with health advice especially on self-isolation,” she said.  It should be noted that Eswatini has started conducting its own tests at the National Reference Laboratory in Mbabane. The minister said the laboratory would be able to handle about 60-100 tests per day. She said, however, the tests would still be sent to South Africa for double-checking and quality control.

Testing locally started last week Thursday. Meanwhile, the minister continued to state that people who showed symptoms should stay alone in their rooms, away from the rest of the family.  She stated that if people had a flu, they must wear masks and visitors should not be allowed into the patient’s room, until discharged.

She emphasised the use of dedicated linen and eating utensils for the COVID-19 patient and that these items should be cleaned with soap and water after use and may be re-used instead of being discarded. She said patients were not expected to travel to societal gatherings and public places.

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