Coronavirus: 129 Under Surveillance in Zimbabwe
ZTN Correspondent
Zimbabwe is screening 129 people who travelled to the capital Harare from countries with confirmed cases of coronavirus.
The World Health Organisation has since declared the virus a global health emergency after China’s death toll rose to 213 on January 30.
A total of 232 people have died in China, with 9 709 cases now confirmed.
In a joint statement on Friday, the Health Ministry and Who said:
“Screening of passengers arriving from China and other countries with confirmed 2019 coronavirus transmission commenced on the 25th of January 2020. (129) travellers arriving in Zimbabwe from countries with confirmed 2019 coronavirus transmission have been documented.
“None of these travellers had symptoms suggestive of 2019 coronavirus infection on arrival. They are all being monitored daily by the Ministry of Health and Child Care health workers to determine the development of any suggestive symptoms.”
According to Who, coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illness ranging from common cold to more severe diseases.
The diseases are zoonotic (transmitted between animals and people).
Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, coughing and breathing difficulties.
In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
Coronavirus causes infections such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars).
Researchers discovered Sars was transmitted from civet cats to humans and Mers-CoV from dromedary camels.