Covid 19 infection surpassed the 4000 mark after 184 new cases tested positive to the highly contagious disease.
The record infections in a day comes as the government raised the red flag over the infiltration of unapproved Covid 19 testing that have reportedly permeated the local market
Health Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Dr. Rashid Aman cautioned Kenyans to be wary of the fake kits insisting that only the real-time procedure using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) certified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the detection of the viral disease.
He told an update on the status of Covid 19 in the country at Afya house that “ our position is that, we still retain PCR as the gold standard for diagnosing COVID-19 until such a time that WHO issues an advisory on the use of Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs)”.
The CAS noted that having the recorded 184 positive cases on Wednesday the accuracy of the testing was becoming increasingly important as the numbers rise.
“ I want to warn that other tests that have been developed are not sufficiently sensitive and specific to detect the virus and the use of RDTs was meant to detect presence of antibodies that a person may have raised as an immune response to exposure to the virus,” he stressed.
Dr Rashid said the latest infections were detected from a sample size of 2,518, tested in the last 24 hours.
The high number, Dr. Rashid termed as serious a situation that all should be concerned about adding that such figures have the potential to quickly overwhelm the healthcare facilities.
“We must not allow this to happen. I am appealing to our people to seriously observe the containment measures since our numbers of positive cases are steadily rising, further confirming the fact that community transmission is now well established.
He said the new figures have pushed the cumulative numbers of infections to 4, 044 out of 124, 474 samples that have so far been tested in the country.
In terms of gender, 129 are males while 55 are females, and all of them except one, are Kenyans.
The 184 positive cases are distributed with Nairobi having (111) cases, Mombasa, (19), Kajiado, (14), Meru (13), Kiambu, (9), Busia, (6), Nakuru, (4), Machakos, (3), Kwale, Kisumu, Garissa, Taita Taveta and Vihiga Counties one (1) case each.
Vihiga, Dr. Rashid said becomes the latest County to record a COVID-19 Case, bringing the number of counties so far affected to 40.
By sub-counties, the cases are distributed in Nairobi, Westlands, (33), Kibra, (19), Langata, (18) Embakasi East, (15), Dagoretti North, (12), Kamukunji, (4), Makadara, (2), Starehe, (2), Embakasi Central, (2), Roysambu, Embakasi West, Kasarani and Embakasi South, have one (1) case each.
In Mombasa, the cases are from, Mvita, (9), Changamwe (4), Likoni, (2), Nyali, (2), Jomvu and Kisauni, one (1) case each.
The cases in Kajiado are from Kajiado Central, (12), Kajiado East and Kajiado North, one (1) case each. In Meru, the 13 cases are all from Imenti North, while in Kiambu, the (9) cases are from Lari, (3), Juja, (2), Kabete, Kikuyu, Kiambu Town and Limuru have one (1) case each. In Busia, all the six (6) cases are of truck drivers in Malaba (5), and Matayos (1).
In Nakuru, the four cases are from Naivasha, (3), and Nakuru East, (1). In Machakos, all the three cases are from Athi River, while in Kwale, the case in Lungalunga. In Kisumu, the case is at Kisumu Central, while in Garissa, the case is from Garissa Township, whereas the case in Taita Taveta, is of a truck driver at Taveta, and the case in Vihiga, is from the Mbale town.
Dr. Rashid has however said that today 27 patients were discharged from various facilities, bringing the tally of recoveries to 1,353.
Sadly, he added the government has also lost two (2) more patients to the disease bringing the total number of fatalities to 107.
Dr. Amoth said that currently there are 540 patients admitted in the country , 5 in critical condition 3 under ventilator and 2 supplemental oxygen, the rest being observed,
88 percent of cases in Kenya are asymptomatic so the medicine dexamethasone that is clinically on trial for treating COVID 19, the DG said can only be applied in a very little fraction and therefore there is still no cure for Covid.
“The deployment of this essential medicine applies to those who are critically ill and because Kenyans have tendency to buy the medicine from the counters, I want to say that the side effects of these medicine are detrimental in terms of fluid retention, gaining of weight , pressure can go up , can also affect mood leading to depression and sleep pattern”:, Dr. Amoth warned.
By Wangari Ndirangu
