Dr Zweli Mkhize, the Minister of Health, reported in an official statement this morning (5 March 2020) that the National Institute for Communicable Diseases has confirmed that a suspected case of the COVID-19 (Corona virus) has tested positive.
According to the statement, the patient is a 38-year old male who traveled to Italy with his wife. They were part of a group of 10 people and they arrived back in South Africa on March 1.
The patient consulted a private general practitioner on March 3 with symptoms of fever, headache, malaise, a sore throat and a cough. The practice nurse took swabs and delivered it to the lab.
The patient has been self-isolating since March 3. The couple also has 2 children.
The Emergency Operating Center (EOC) has identified the contacts by interviewing the patient and doctor. The tracer team has been deployed with epidemiologists and clinicians from NICD. The doctor has been self-isolated as well.
* Over 90,000 corona virus cases have been confirmed worldwide. More than 3,000 people have died globally, the vast majority in China. More than 3000 people in Italy have tested positive, of whom 100 have so far died.
