WATCH: Should you be worried about the #Coronavirus outbreak?
While the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus worldwide is, and should be, taken seriously, experts say panic isn't necessary.
IS the Coronavirus outbreak serious?
The short answer is a resounding yes!
However, those in the know are quick to advise that people should avoid panicking.
UPDATE: 30 March
South Africans are now in the first week of a three week lock down which began at midnight of Thursday, 26 March and is set to continue until midnight on Thursday, 16 March.
We at the Highway Mail as part of Caxton Local Media’s commitment* to accurate reporting of this outbreak will be updating our stories as and when we receive further information.
The public is urged to focus on information which could help them avoid catching and spreading COVID19, or Coronavirus as it is more commonly known.
International agencies
“The fight against rumours and misinformation is a vital part of the battle against this virus. We rely on you to make sure people have accurate information about the threat they face, and how to protect themselves and others,” said World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the opening of a media briefing on Thursday, 5 March.
On Thursday, 5 March, news broke about the first confirmed case of the virus in South Africa, causing a tracer team to be sent to KwaZulu-Natal with epidemiologists and clinicians from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD).
ALSO READ: SA’s first Coronavirus virus case confirmed in KZN
Ghebreyesus said the countries with weaker health systems were less able to cope.
“Although we continue to see the majority of cases in a handful of countries, we are deeply concerned about the increasing number of countries reporting cases, especially those with weaker health systems,” he said.
“This epidemic is a threat for every country, rich and poor. As we have said before, even high-income countries should expect surprises. The solution is aggressive preparedness.”
Act on plans
“We’re concerned that some countries have either not taken this seriously enough, or have decided there’s nothing they can do.”
However, he said many countries have long been creating plans for such an event.
“Countries have been planning for scenarios like this for decades. Now is the time to act on those plans,” he said adding that such plans should involve all levels of government.
ALSO READ: UKZN launches ‘War Room’ to fight deadly Coronavirus
“Educate your public, so that people know what the symptoms are and know how to protect themselves and others. Increase your testing capacity. Get your hospitals ready. Ensure essential supplies are available. Train your health workers to identify cases, provide careful and compassionate treatment, and protect themselves from infection,” he continued.
“If countries act aggressively to find, isolate and treat cases, and to trace every contact, they can change the trajectory of this epidemic,” he said.
However he warned against a reaction driven by a feeling of helplessness.
“If we take the approach that there’s nothing we can do, that will quickly become a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
Changing information
“This is a rapidly changing situation and every day we learn more about this virus,” said Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, the technical lead for the WHO team dealing with the outbreak.
Masks
“What we know about this virus is that it is spread by droplets and close contact. You have to make sure that if you cough, you cover your mouth so that those droplets don’t go to others,” she said adding that wearing masks to avoid catching the disease isn’t as helpful as wearing it to prevent making others sick.
“The WHO recommends that you wear a mask if you are sick. If you have symptoms and you wear a mask, you are protecting others.”
Symptoms
“The symptoms you should be looking out for are respiratory signs and symptoms. A dry cough, shortness of breath, very few people actually have a runny nose or sneeze,” said Van Kerkhove, adding that she had learned from having recently visited China.
“Most people will have a fever, most will have a cough. Some people will feel generally unwell, will have muscle pain,” she said.
“What we do worry about is that everyone that has shortness of breath or chest pain seek help very quickly.”
ALSO READ: VIDEO: Coronavirus lingers in rooms and toilets, but disinfectants kill it
Testing
“We have developed tests which usually take a matter of hours to maybe a day to get your results back. In some cases that is too long, so we are working very hard to have a point of car test which can be done at the bedside,” said Van Kerhove.
Not airbone
“In health-care facilities we tell our health care workers when they are treating patients to use airborne precautions, but those are for health care workers performing very specific procedures, but for every day infection precautions, knowing it is not airborn, but transmitted by droplets is important,” said Van Kerhove, clearing up some confusion.
“What this means is that the virus is in droplets spread by coughing and drop to the ground within just over a meter from having left the infected person,” she explained, adding that unlike with airborne viruses, the COVID19 virus doesn’t travel large distances in the air.
She said keeping over a meter away from another person is sufficient to prevent them, even if they cough, from transmitting droplets to an uninfected person.
Van Kerhove also advised people to wash their hands frequently and thoroughly.
Local readiness
Netcare Group chief executive officer, Dr Richard Friedland has advised calm, caution and absolute vigilance to ensure that any public health risk, including the latest COVID-19 coronavirus, is managed responsibly.
There are many Netcare Group facilities in and around Durban, including Queensburgh and Pinetown which each have a Medicross medical centre.
“Within all Netcare Group facilities, including Netcare hospitals and Medicross medical and dental centres, Akeso mental health hospitals, National Renal Care dialysis units, Netcare Cancer centres and Netcare 911, we are putting a number of additional precautionary safeguards in place to protect all patients, visitors, staff members, doctors, healthcare and other service providers in our facilities,” announced Friedland on Friday, 6 March.
At the official press briefing on Thursday, both the Minister of Health and the experts from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) advised people were to contact their primary health care facilities if they were symptomatic prior to attending them to avoid infecting others.
*Caxton Local Media is committed to fact-checking
Dear reader,
As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
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