South Africa has confirmed the third case of the novel coronavirus in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) on Sunday Mar. 08, 2020.
The third patient is the wife of the Durban-man (39) who tested positive last Thursday.
The KZN couple has two children. They have tested negative according to the press statement from the Minister of Health. However, they have been quarantined for precautionery measures and are barred from attending school.
Moreover, their school, Cowen House Prep in Hilton, has been closed.
On Saturday, a second case of Covid-19 was reported by the Minister of Health. The diagnosed 38-old-woman is from Gauteng and (she) was admitted at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in Johannesburg.
All the three COVID-19 patients were part of the 10 people who came back to SA from Italy on Sunday Mar. 01, 2020.
According to the minister’s press statement this morning, one of the 10 people did not return to SA. Thus, they were nine (9) travellers in the Italy group.
The results of the other six (6) travellers will be made available “within the next 48 hours”, the statement said. Dr. Mkhize stressed that when he spoke with the first patient, he was “upbeat and jovial”.
The doctor also confirmed to the minister that the Durban-man “is responding well and is now asymptomatic”. However, he will be kept and treated according to the World Health Organization (WHO) standards until he is cleared.
The SA government has set up a tracing team to identify people who may have come into contact with the 10 travellers. It has dispatched health specialists from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) to handle coronavirus cases.
The Guardian says Italy has quarantined a quarter of its population:
“In the early hours of Sunday, Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte signed a decree enacting forced quarantine for the region of Lombardy – home to more than 10 million people and the financial capital, Milan – and multiple other provinces, totalling around 16 million residents.”
Origin of Novel Coronavirus
The initial incidents of Covid-19 were confirmed in Wuhang, a city in mainland China, late in Dec. 2019.
Subsequently, more cases were reported around the world and the death count accelerated in January.
The global death toll of the ominous novel coronavirus stands at 3, 600.
No Cure
Currently, there is no vaccine for Covid-19 – a disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
While scientists are working tirelessly on developing the cure, a combination of medical supplements are being used for treatment. Over 60, 366 Covid-19 patients have recovered.
The symptoms for the contagious novel coronavirus are fever, coughing, sneezing, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties among others.
The severity of this “human-to-human” airborne novel coronavirus can lead to pneumonia.
People over 60 years of age, the physically infirm, and those with underlying illnesses are at a higher risk of succumbing to its ultimate menacing effect – death.
WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) has elevated Covid-19 risk measure to a “very high” status. It revealed on Mar. 01, 2020 that:
“UN (United Nations) Humanitarian Chief Mark Lowcock today released US$15 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to help fund global efforts to contain the COVID-19 virus.”