COVID-19:Uganda Confirms Fifth Death As Cases Hit 1195

By Spy Uganda

Kampala: The Ministry of Health has confirmed the fifth COVID-19 death bringing the total cases to five (5). 

According to a statement seen by this website from Ministry of Health, the deceased is a 46 year old female of Indian origin and a resident of Kibuli in Kampala.

On 1 August, 2020, she presented at Kibuli Muslim Hospital with symptoms of COVID-19 and later the Hospital team referred her to Mulago national referral hospital for further management.

“Unfortunately, she passed away on her way to Mulago hospital. May her soul rest in eternal peace” statement partially reads.

Ministry adds that further investigations revealed that she was diabetic and off medication and had a history of asthma for 10 years. “Both diabetes and asthma are risk factors for COVID-19. Samples were taken off from her body and sent to laboratories for analysis” statement adds.

The samples were analyzed at three different laboratories; Makerere University, Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and Central Public Health Laboratories and all confirmed SARs-COV-2.

“The process of contact tracing is on-going” statement adds.

Ministry adds that, samples taken from a suspected COVID-19 death in Kiruhura district have tested negative for COVID-19.

In the same vein, thirteen (13) new COVID-19 cases were confirmed from samples tested on 2 August, 2020.

Out of the thirteen (13) confirmed cases include four (4) truck drivers, five (5) contacts to previously confirmed cases, two (2) returnees, and two (2) alerts from Buikwe and Kampala Metropolitan Area who succumbed to the disease. 

Regarding the four (4) truck drivers, two (2) arived from DRC via Bunagana point of entry while two (2) arrived from Kenya via Malaba Point of Entry.

Others are two (2) returnees who arrived from USA and were under quarantine at the time of test.

The five (5) contacts to previously confirmed cases; three (3) are from Kampala Metropolitan Area while two (2) are from Gulu District and all were under quarantine at the time of test.

Mean while eighteen (18) foreign truck drivers (11 Kenyans, 5 Tanzanians and 2 Congolese) tested positive for COVID-19 at the border points of entry and their entry was not permitted.

So far, Uganda has 1,195 total confirmed cases, 1,070 recoveries and 5 deaths.