Mount Edgecombe resident takes precautions amidst coronavirus scare
The resident was traveling with the South African man who was recently diagnosed with the Coronavirus.
A RESIDENT of the Mount Edgecombe Country Estate (MECCE) who was traveling with the man, confirmed to have the Coronavirus, has taken measures to self-isolate.
The Coronavirus case made headlines on Thursday when the national minister of health in South Africa confirmed that a 38-year-old man, who had travelled from Italy alongside the Mount Edgecombe resident, had tested positive for the deadly virus.
According to MECCE’s CEO, Desiree Stone, the resident, who has not yet been diagnosed and is still awaiting testing, has been in contact with the NICD (National Institute of Communicable Diseases).
Once the tests have been run and the results are known, further communication will follow.
“Every precaution is still being taken by the estate to try mitigate the potential spread of the virus regardless of what the results are for our resident. We wish the family well during this time of uncertainty and we hope they receive favourable results. We encourage our residents and everyone in our Mount Edgecombe community to not panic and to read up as much as possible while taking the necessary precautions,” stated Stone.
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Of the confirmed Coronavirus case, minister of health, Zweli Mkhize said the patient consulted a private general practitioner on March 3, with symptoms of fever, headache, malaise, a sore throat and a cough.
“The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) confirmed that a suspected case of COVID-19 has tested positive. The patient is a 38-year-old male who travelled to Italy with his wife. They were part of a group of 10 people and they arrived back in South Africa on March 1, 2020,” Mkhize said in a statement.
The practice nurse took swabs and delivered it to the lab.
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Mkhize added: “The patient has been self-isolating since March 3. The couple also has two children. The Emergency Operating Centre (EOC) has identified the contacts by interviewing the patient and doctor. The tracer team has been deployed to KwaZulu-Natal with epidemiologists and clinic.
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