61 people test negative for coronavirus in SA

THE National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) confirmed yesterday that the tests of the 61 people tested for novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) all came back negative.

In a statement they said South Africa remains a destination of choice for many travellers, with a lot of traffic managed from Cape Town International Airport and Oliver Reginald Tambo International Airport.

“All ports of entry, including the aforementioned high traffic airports, remain on high alert for a possible case. It is possible that we will detect a case and as such, we would like to assure the public that should South Africa identify a positive case, the country is well prepared to deal with it. The NICD, working together with the National Department of Health, continues to enhance systems to rapidly identify and detect any imported cases that may reach our borders,” read the statement.

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They added that they were providing preparedness training, guidance and support to healthcare professionals in South Africa and the continent.  According to the Institute they had trained 130 health professionals, including medical doctors, environmental health practitioners, emergency personnel, nurses and others  in the North-West Tshepong Hospital to build capacity and response.

“The training includes guidance on what samples to collect to confirm the diagnosis as well as how to best manage the case clinically and to prevent spread to others while the diagnosis is being made,” they said.

Guidelines to prevent the spread of respiratory infections:

• Avoid close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections.
• Practice frequent hand-washing, especially after direct contact with ill people or their environment.
• Avoid visiting markets where live animals are sold.
• Travellers with symptoms of acute respiratory infection should practice cough etiquette (maintain distance, cover coughs and sneezes with disposable tissues or clothing and wash hands).
• Health practitioners should provide travellers with information to reduce the general risk of acute respiratory infections, via travel health clinics, travel agencies, conveyance operators and at points of entry.
• Travellers should self-report if they feel ill.

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