After the first two suspected cases of Coronavirus in Kenya were isolated in Mombasa and Nairobi and private facilities secured the tests that were sent to South Africa for diagnosis, Kenya accelerated the process of adaptation to international controls to immediately diagnose the virus that is claiming victims worldwide and a few days ago reported the first lethal case in North Africa, Egypt.
The tests to be carried out in the country were requested directly, so as not to have to wait a minimum of 48 hours for the results (South Africa and Senegal are the only nations to have specialized centers for diagnosis of important infections, but little by little ten other African countries have been added and have the necessary tools) and more equipment to disinfect airports and public places.
In addition, Kenya will benefit this month from part of the funds made available for Africa by the World Health Organization, or 675 million dollars to protect states with inadequate public health systems.
With Kenya, Angola, Algeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia will be helped. All countries that, among other things, have until recently had close contacts with China.
"The risk and likelihood of having an epidemic in Africa is very, very high," said Ambrose Talisuna, head of the World Health Organization's emergency team on the continent. For this reason, for some weeks now, African health systems have been preparing for the new threat from China (where it has already caused almost 2000 deaths). Patients suspected of having contracted the coronavirus have also been quarantined in Ethiopia Ivory Coast and Botswana.
In the meantime the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in conjunction with WHO has created a dedicated Task Force for the Black Continent and is working hard at each country's entry points (for Kenya there are only 2 international ones, Nairobi and Mombasa) to improve screening and prevent infection and possible contagion, as well as organize local health systems so that we know how to manage people with nCoV in a serious way.
"We know that these health systems are fragile and are already struggling with numerous epidemics. For us, it is crucial to detect the coronavirus as soon as possible so that we can prevent its spread within communities," said Michel Yao, Oms Programme Manager for Emergency Operations in Africa.
Health workers have been taught how to deal with people with suspected or confirmed infection. Incidence management teams have also been established in the country.
It has to be said that "thanks" to the experience of the Ebola virus, Kenya, like other neighbouring countries not far from the Congo, are prepared with isolation infrastructure, it is only a matter of acting specifically for this terrible new virus.