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Uganda's First Lady and education minister Janet Museveni has expressed her gratitude to everyone that wished her well during her successful battle against COVID-19. A week after testing positive for the virus during the Christmas holiday, her follow-up results returned negative on Monday (January 1).

In a 'thank you' note dated Monday, she expressed her gratitude and relief in equal measure after receiving the "negative" COVID results.

She revealed that it had been "seven days of real worry and uncertainty", adding that "even though I didn't have many symptoms, I couldn't help but worry about how tomorrow might turn out".

In the same message, the First Lady sent her "love and best wishes" to the President, her family and all Ugandans "for this blessed new year, 2024".

'It is worthwhile'

More specifically, she said, her message was "to say thank you to all of you for letting me know that I have so many who love and care for me".

"You have shown me that when I am not well, you will stand with me. You are willing to pray and bombard Heaven with prayers, not giving God peace until He answers," she added.

"And please know that He has answered with His goodness and mercy! I am whole, I am well, and in His wisdom, He gave me an opportunity to hear from so many who truly sent their love".

The First Lady also revealed that the children from Masulita UWESO Village sent her "their best artwork!"

"Oh, thank you Uganda, for being so genuine and sharing your humanity with me and my family! Now I feel that it is worthwhile, after all, to serve God by serving His people, among whom there are angels who walk among us!

"Happy, Happy New Year 2024."

'She fought bravely'

On Monday, President Yoweri Museveni revealed on social media platform X that "Maama Janet has defeated coronavirus".

He said that that morning, her samples were sent to Mbarara and they were all negative, adding that the First Lady is out of isolation and that "she fought bravely".

"Thank you for your prayers," said the President, who also took another COVID test himself two days after testing negative for the virus. The results, he said, returned negative.

Museveni was also keen to shed more light on how the virus is spreading now.

"The doctors are now saying that corona spreads more through touching yourself on the soft parts of the body (the eyes, the nose, the mouth, etc) with infected hands than even through breathing.

"Is it true? Hon. Jane Aceng (health minister), please clarify to all.

Museveni urged Ugandans to be keen on "door handles, tables, armchairs that need to be sanitized and documents and, of course, the unnecessary handshaking."

'COVID still with us'

In response to the President's call for clarification, health minister Aceng said COVID-19 "is still with us despite the declaration of the end of the emergency by the World Health Organization".

In a series of posts on social media platform X on Tuesday, the minister said: "Since the start of the pandemic in Wuhan in China, it was known that surfaces such as tables, door handles, doors, chairs, etc contributed heavily to transmission of COVID-19 via touching. The COVID-19 virus, unlike many others, stays alive for over three days on these days".

Aceng added: Thus, it has been documented that transmission via touching of infected surfaces and thereafter, one's soft body parts such as eyes, nose, mouth appears to be a more common route of infection than the airborne route."