Health officials confident about readiness to deal with coronavirus threats (Audio)
An alert was developed and disseminated to all provinces and stakeholders.
The Multisectoral National Outbreak Response Team (MNORT) convened on January 24 to discuss the coronavirus outbreak.
Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize said the meeting focused on precautions instituted by the National Department of Health (NDOH) and South African airports.
Prof Cheryl Cohen explains the virus at a press briefing at NICD office on Modderfontein Road on January 29.
Mkhize said MNORT comprises the World Health Organisation (WHO), national departments, such as home affairs, agriculture, international relations, tourism, and representatives of the private health sector.
“At the meeting, an incidence management system (IMS) was set up, with the key roles and responsibilities identified and assigned to responsible officials attached to each key functional area,” said Mkhize.
Activities undertaken by the NDOH and National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) include:
1. An alert was disseminated to all provinces and stakeholders.
2. MNORT and provincial outbreak response teams were activated.
3. Health officials and international relations representatives have been interacting with the media and the public to create awareness.
4. A hotline at the NICD office on Modderfontein Road to field questions from doctors who have direct contact with patients.
5. Clinical guidelines and case definitions were sent to doctors and nurses in the public and the private sectors. This includes information on how to diagnose and respond to a possible 2019 coronavirus case.
6. Provinces have activated outbreak response teams and are on high alert to detect and manage inadvertent cases that may arrive in the country.
7. Screening of returning travellers from China at major airports intensified.
Mkhize said port health officials routinely conduct temperature screening for all international travellers.
“The authorities have intensified surveillance of all travellers from Asia, especially China.”
Screening is conducted at Points of Entry (PoE) to detect ill travellers by the following means:
• Temperature screening at 12 PoE utilising non-invasive thermometers where all travellers arriving through these PoE are channelled to the temperature screening.
“If a traveller is found to have an elevated temperature, they are assessed by a nurse and if determined to be a suspect case they are transported to a health facility for further management and the NICD is immediately notified.”
Also read: MODDERFONTEIN: SA says it is ready to tackle deadly coronavirus – Audio
• Arrivals are checked.
“Health officials go on board each arriving international aircraft and ship to determine if there is any sick traveller. If a traveller falls ill while on board, port health officials are informed by the crew members in line with the WHO and International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) requirements and an assessment of the traveller is conducted upon arrival.” If the traveller is found to exhibit symptoms consistent with novel coronavirus, the traveller would be transported to a medical facility for further management.
“Contact information of travellers who may have been in contact with the ill travellers is collected and used to follow up if necessary,” said Mkhize.
• As the busiest airport in Africa, special measures have been introduced at OR Tambo International Airport. Travellers on direct aircraft from China in the past 14 days are required to complete a questionnaire for possible contact tracing. NICD remains vigilant in monitoring the movement of this virus as reported by the WHO, according to the minister.
“We are working closely with the international community and particularly with Chinese officials through the WHO.”
