Third Covid wave might be deadliest, Kagwe warns

 

The Health ministry has warned Kenyans to be vigilant in adhering Covid-19 precautions as a third wave might be the deadliest yet. 

“We are still at a rate that is manageable but the only reason why this is happening is that you have your mask on so we need to realise that you are your point of weakness when you think that everything is now gone,” Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said.

There is fear that the new South African, UK and Brazilian Covid-19 variants might fuel another global wave if care is not taken.

“If you go back to 1918 to the Spanish influenza the first was not so bad, the second wave was also just slightly worse but the third wave is the one that came with devastating consequences and therefore we have to stay alert,” Kagwe said.

He added: “Let us stay on course. Let us listen to the advice that is given by our health experts so that nothing changes out of the ordinary. So I beg of you to just hang on in there for a little while and hopefully, we can get out of it safely and without the kind of impact that it has had elsewhere.”

Acting Health director-general Dr Patrick Amoth said the ministry will continue genome sequencing to be able to pick any variants in the country.

On Wednesday, the ministry reported 173 new cases from a sample size of 3,784 tested in 24 hours.

Some 186 more patients recovered from the virus, pushing the number of recoveries to 84,728. Twenty-three were discharged from hospital and the other 163 recovered from home. Two patients died, raising fatalities to 1,791.

There were 353 patients admitted in various health facilities countrywide on Wednesday while 1,283 are on home-based isolation and care.

Thirty-four patients are in the intensive care unit, 15 of whom are on ventilator support and 17 on supplemental oxygen.

Two patients were under observation and another 11 patients separately on supplemental oxygen in the general wards, Kagwe said. 

Nairobi recorded 133 new cases followed by Mombasa with seven, Uasin Gishu with five.

Kiambu and Nakuru with four cases each, Machakos, Makueni and Migori with three cases each, Kajido, Kericho, Kilifi and Kisumu had two cases each while Kakamega, Homa Bay and Siaya each had one case.