Coronavirus patient intercepted at Entebbe airport

Mar 21, 2020

The announcement was made on Sunday morning by the minister of health, Dr Ruth Aceng, from Lourdel Towers, in Kampala.

 
UGANDA has registered the first case of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), a 36-year-old male who arrived from Dubai on Saturday aboard Ethiopian Airlines at 2:00am.
 
The announcement was made on Sunday morning by the minister of health, Dr Ruth Aceng, from Lourdel Towers, in Kampala. 
 
The minister explained: "The patient was intercepted at Entebbe International Airport, on his return from Dubai, where he had travelled on March 17, 2020 (four days ago) for business purposes. At the time of his travel, he was in good health. He is a resident of Kibuli, Kagungulu zone, Kampala." 
 
 "During the screening process at the airport, his temperature was 38.7. This prompted the health teams to isolate him at the airport for further follow-up. Subsequent temperatures taken at intervals of 30 minutes and one hour remained the same. He was evacuated to Entebbe Grade B Hospital for further follow up where a nasal swab was taken for analysis," she told the media. 
 
She added: "The confirmed case presented with high fever and poor appetite. He is not coughing neither did he have flu. However, the persistent fever prompted the health workers to isolate him. "
 
 "His nasal swab samples were sent to the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) for analysis. Results from UVRI showed the sample is positive for COVID-19." 
 
 

 Aceng said the situation is under control. Photo by Ivan Kabuye

Aceng added: "The Ministry of Health reassures the general public that all measures were undertaken to identify this case at the airport and isolate him in a timely manner." 
 
"The passenger manifest has been retrieved and all contacts are known as we are in possession of their passports of all travelers who came on that plane," she explained.  "All the passengers on the plane have been quarantined."
 
She also explained that to-date a total of 1,827 travelers including Ugandans and others travelling back home from identified high-risk countries for purposes of follow up.
 
"About 827 are completing self-quarantine while about 1,000 are under quarantine," she explained. 

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