First coronavirus case reported in SA
The patient is a father of two from Hilton in KZN who travelled to Italy with his wife
The first confirmed case of the coronavirus in South Africa has been confirmed.
The patient is a father of two from Hilton in KZN who travelled to Italy with his wife.
They were part of a tour group of 10 people and they arrived back in South Africa on 1 March.
He consulted a general practitioner on 3 March with symptoms of fever, headache, a sore throat and a cough.
The practice nurse took swabs and delivered it to a laboratory.
A tracer team has been deployed to KwaZulu-Natal with epidemiologists and clinicians from the NICD.
The doctor who treated the man has placed himself in isolating as well.
The emergency operating centre (EOC) has identified those who came into contact with the patient.
At a media briefing yesterday at the Waterkloof Airforce Base, President Cyril Ramaphosa urged South Africans not to panic and assured the nation that the situation was under control.
The president said the immediacy with which the case is being dealt with shows that South Africa is ready to deal with the coronavirus.
South Africa now joins Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal and Algeria as the African countries affected by the virus.
Everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, include:
• Washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. Cough etiquette involves maintaining distance, covering coughs and sneezes with disposable tissues or clothing and washing hands.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• Take action if you had close contact with someone confirmed to have been evaluated for the virus.
• Monitor your health starting from the day you first had close contact with the person and continue for 14 days after.
• Watch for signs and symptoms such as fever, coughing, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
Other early symptoms are chills, body aches, sore throat, headache, diarrhoea, nausea/vomiting and a runny nose.
If you develop fever or any of these symptoms, immediately call your health care provider.
Before going to your medical appointment, tell your health care provider about your close contact with someone who is confirmed having the coronavirus.
This will help the health care provider’s office to take steps to keep other people from getting infected, as well as alert the health department or National Institute for Communicable Diseases.
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