Kampala – A 36 year old man who resides in Kibuli, Kakungulu zone in Kampala has given Uganda its first coronavirus case.
Addressing the nation on Sunday morning [from 12:00am], Health Minister, Dr Ruth Aceng said the patient had travelled to Dubai on March 17, 2020 for a business trip.
He reportedly returned to Uganda on March 21, 2020 at around 2 am aboard Ethiopian airlines, she added.
“During the screening process at Entebbe Airport, his temperature was said to be at 38.7,” the Minister told the nation, in her statement.
According to her, it encouraged the health team at the airport to isolate him at the airport for further follow up, adding that “subsequent temperatures taken at intervals of 30 minutes and one hour remained the same.”
“He was evacuated to Entebbe Grade B hospital for further follow up where a nasal swab was taken for analysis. The patient is in stable condition but remains under isolation at Entebbe Grade B hospital.”
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Dr Aceng notes that the persistent fever prompted the health workers to isolate him and nasal swab samples was sent to Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) for analysis.
Results from UVRI showed the sample is positive for COVID-19.
“About 827 are completing self-quarantine while about 1,000 are under quarantine,” health minister, who was flanked by WHO officials and those from health ministry said.
“The passenger manifest has been retrieved and all contacts are known as we are in position of the passports of all the travellers that came on that plane.”
Uganda was the only country in East Africa to have registered no coronavirus case in many weeks, with Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, among others, to date having more than 5 cases.
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