South Africa - Durban - 27 May 2019 - Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu: health MEC been congradulated by KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala at his low-cost inauguration that took place at the premier's Parkside residence in Pietermaritzburg on Monday. Picture: Motshwari Mofokeng/African News Agency(ANA)
South Africa’s first diagnosed Covid-19 patient is doing well and will probably be discharged soon, KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu said on Wednesday.
“Patient zero is doing much better. The only reason we have not allowed him to go home is because protocol says he needs to test negative before he is released. He is waiting for that process in hospital in an isolation ward.”
Simelane-Zulu was speaking at the Provincial Council on Aids, where the latest developments on the virus were presented.
On Thursday, News24 reported that the health ministry had confirmed that the number of positive Covid-19 cases in the country had risen to 17, with four more cases confirmed.
The new cases were identified in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and the Free State.
Simelane-Zulu said that – while the virus was serious – it was important that calm prevailed.
She said steps were being taken to discipline a nurse from Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital who had spread fake news about the virus.
“She said there were a huge amount of people that were at the hospital with coronavirus. We are dealing with this. We are calling on people to be cautious on what they say about this.
“It is correct that we must take this virus seriously, but it doesn’t have to kill us. Our personal hygiene must be taken care of and the right information must go out.”
The first positive Covid-19 case was discovered in a Hilton resident in KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday, 5 March.
News24 reported that Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said the 38-year-old male had travelled to Italy with his wife.
They were part of a group of 10 people and they arrived back in South Africa on 1 March. Five other people who travelled with the group also tested positive for Covid-19.
After the patient consulted a private general practitioner on 3 March with symptoms of fever, headache, malaise, a sore throat and a cough, he went into self-isolation.
He was then moved to Grey’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg where he has been in isolation.
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