The Health Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Diana Atwine and Dr Charles Olaro, the Ag Director General Health Services, have appealed to the country’s Foreign Affairs Ministry to share health tips that can avoid the coronavirus hitting Uganda.
The doctors’ tips are contained in an advisory shared with the Foreign Affairs ministry on Wednesday.
“The Ministry of Health recommends to the Foreign Missions to guide and disseminate the above recommendations. The Ministry of Health will continue updating your ministry on the national risk profile for 2019-nCoV,” the statement with precautionary measures states.
The statements add that Uganda has not yet recorded any case of the virus.
Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.
The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak that begun in China has risen to 170, and a confirmed case in Tibet means it has reached every region in mainland Asian nation.
The World Health Organization (WHO) will meet on Thursday to again consider whether the virus constitutes a global health emergency.
“In the last few days the progress of the virus, especially in some countries, especially human-to-human transmission, worries us,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday.
Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
BELOW ARE SOME OF THE GUIDELINES SHARED BY DOCTORS DIANA AND CHARLES
- Observe prevention measures that have been put up by the host Country to control the spread of the 2019-nCoV
- ‘ To observe standard recommendations to prevent infection spread including regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms Of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing, avoid Crowded places and hand shaking
- To minimize travel to and from the affected countries to avoid Contracting and spreading the disease. If one travels to any affected country, we advise self-isolation for 14 days, in case symptoms develop, immediately contact health authorities.
- To comply with the screening measures instated at the national points of entry including Entebbe International Airport.
- When coughing and sneezing cover mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue — throw tissue away immediately in a bin and wash hands;
- Thoroughly cooking meat and eggs before consumption.
- Avoid crowded areas and hand shaking
- Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing
- If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing seek medical care early and share previous travel history with your health care provider;
- When visiting live markets in countries currently experiencing cases of novel coronavirus, avoid direct unprotected contact with live animals and surfaces in contact With animals;
