Govt Denies Claims Of An Outbreak Of COVID 19 In The Country

 

The government, through the Ministry of Health, dismissed reports on Thursday about the spread of a new Covid 19 variant, SARS-CoV 2 Omicron JN1.

In an advisory issued by Health Director-General Patrick Amoth, the Ministry of Health stated that it has been monitoring COVID-19 cases since December last year, with a focus on the new variant, but there has been no significant increase in cases.


The ministry stated that it had implemented a robust surveillance system to monitor the emergence and spread of the flu and other pathogens of national, regional, and global concern.

 “None of these sites has reported an increase in the numbers of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) but increased cases of influenza have been reported,” the Ministry noted in a statement.

The Ministry of Health stated that the clarification was necessary in response to media reports linking an increase in respiratory diseases in the country to the new Covid 19 mutant.

However, the Ministry of Health warned of an increase in influenza cases, citing that this time of year is known for a surge in respiratory diseases.


It was also noted that despite the increase in respiratory diseases, there were no significant changes in the number of hospitalisations and deaths reported.

According to health experts, influenza infections are usually self-limiting, but they can also cause severe disease or death, particularly in high-risk individuals.

Kenyans were thus advised to avoid close contact with people who were ill, particularly those with respiratory symptoms.