Virus-affected family upset over online postings

A spokesperson for the Richards Bay family affected by the coronavirus says social media postings have added more pain to their already upsetting situation.

The woman confirmed that all seven members of the family, spanning three generations, had been tested and that only the youngest – the Richards Bay Primary learner – had at this stage been positively declared to be carrying the Covid-19 virus.

However, this was done by a private laboratory not accredited by the World Health Organisation, and after further tests to be conducted today by the Department of Health, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NCID) would formally confirm the case if those tests are positive.

ALSO READ: UPDATE: Medical centre verifies first coronavirus case in Richards Bay

The mother of the child, who tested negative at the private lab, would also be retested

She also confirmed that none of the family, who are all in quarantine, had been out of the country and there was no indication of where or how the virus had been caught.

‘While it is a potentially serious situation, we are taking it in our stride and treating it like any other flu under medical supervision.

‘But it is the invasion of our privacy that is really upsetting. For example, some people just pulled our family photo off Facebook and circulated it all over WhatsApp without permission.

‘There are also terrible comments circulating and even videos, and we have had some nasty calls, as though we are to blame.

‘But I can assure you the patients followed all the right medical protocols and the moment the results came back as positive, this was shared with the necessary entities.

‘I just want people to pray for the whole family and allow us the discretion and confidentiality we deserve while we deal with this problem.’

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