Cameroonian wears mask to protect himself against the coronavirus
The government of Cameroon through its
spokesperson Rene Emmanuel Sadi, Minister of Communication has called on
Cameroonians to respect laid down recommendations relating to health security
and healthy living. Minister Rene Emanuel Sadi was speaking in Yaounde as two
confirmed cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus were detected in Cameroon.
Cameroon is the first Central African country to
register a case of the deadly virus, and one of five sub-Saharan nations.
Cameroon recorded its first case of the virus barely
four days after the Minister visited the Nsimalen International Airport to
assess screening of passengers from other countries.
The first case of the virus was detected on
March 6 with a 58-year-old French man who tested positive having arrived Cameroon
on February 24. The second case is a patient who was in close link with the
first who came from France.
Dr Manaouda Malachie said: “The first confirmed case arrived Cameroon on February 24, showed no
sign of sickness or running temperature. There was no sign at all. It’s from the 27 that he began to feel feverish. But he is not coughing,
hasn’t got runny nostrils, and is less contagious
than others. So, we are optimistic that we can confine him and go on with
treatment.”
According to the Minister of Public Health Dr
Manaouda Malachie, the patients have been placed at the isolation center of the
Yaounde Central Hospital for appropriate treatment. “We need to follow his contacts. Our collaborators are on the ground;
they are working,” said Cameroon’s Health
Minister.
Dr Manaouda Malachie has equally called on
Cameroonians to remain calm and reassured them that government has taken all
necessary measures to avoid others getting the virus.
“But it is good for the population to continue to strictly adhere to security
rules, and not give in to panic. Above all, if someone feels sick, and suspects
it could be the Coronavirus, they should not go to the hospital, but call 1510.
Health workers will pick him up from their residence because not every health
personnel can take care of a Coronavirus patient,” Public
Health Minister, Manaouda Malachie.
With the virus confirmed in Cameroon, some
rushed to hospitals and pharmacies to ask for advice or buy medical face masks — though not recommended by health practitioners.
Forty-three-year-old Isaac Dufe, who bought
three masks for his wife and two-year-old baby, said he does not have
confidence that the Cameroon government will be able to control the virus's
spread should many people be found with it.
“Cases of diseases have been recorded in this country, for instance, a
case like cholera,” he said. “When there
is an outbreak of cholera, in many situations in claims a lot of lives. But now
we are talking about a very complicated disease like Coronavirus, so, I am so
scared that if adequate health measures are not taken, then the situation might
be very difficult in Cameroon.”
Phanuel Habimana, a World Health Organization
representative for Cameroon, said it is following up on the case. He says
Cameroonians should not panic, but must make sure they respect basic hygiene
norms.
“Cameroonians should remain calm,” Habimana
told VOA. “Cameroonians should not rush to pharmacies to
try to get masks. Cameroonians should abide to the measures that the minister
[of health]
has been repeatedly mentioning. Personal hygiene, washing hands
several times a day, when someone is coughing, cover the mouth and nose with
handkerchiefs, and also make sure that people do not get in contact closely
with people who are suspected to be sick.”
The coronavirus was confirmed in the Chinese
city of Wuhan on January 7, 2020 with cases confirmed in over 80 countries
across the globe since then. The WHO has since declared it a public health
emergency of international dimensions. WHO chief, Tedros Ghebereyesus said
while China had a robust health system to detect and control, his outfit
remained concerned about the virus entering country’s with weak systems.
Almost all Africa countries have publicly put in
place strict screening at points of entry, especially airports. Cases of the
coronavirus have been detected in Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Senegal and
Nigeria.
Senegal has registered four cases, all foreign
nationals, and South Africa, Togo and Nigeria have one case each since the
outbreak emerged in China. Experts continue to express concerns over the
continent’s vulnerability to the outbreaks of contagious
diseases.
Since the outbreak began in Wuhan China, more
than 100,000 have been affected worldwide, and killed more than 3,000 mostly in
China.
Coronavirus according to reports are a family of
viruses that range from the common cold to MERS coronavirus, while is Middle
East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus and SARS, Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome coronavirus.
