Thread by @DrZweliMkhize

MEDIA RELEASE 27 March 2020
Today, South Africa has 1170 confirmed cases. This is an increase of 243 new cases from yesterday’s announcement

The total number of tests conducted to date is 28 537.

REPORTED DEATHS:
This morning we reported 2 deaths had occurred as a result of COVID-19 virus. The 1sr patient was a 48 year old female who tested positive for COVID-19 on the 23rd March 2020. She was suffering from pulmonary embolism. This means she had an underlying disease.

The second patient who died was a suspected case based on her clinical presentation. The clinicians who were treating her have reported to us that this was a 28 year old female who had presented at the hospital in respiratory distress.

. At the time of presentation she was hypoxic. She was intubated and transferred to hospital during the early hours of this morning, (ie 27 March 2020 at 3am). On arrival in ICU, she was declared dead

The clinical picture was suggestive of COVID-19 & therefore a test was conducted. Her labresults have since been received at 17:20 and were confirmed negative. Her immediate family was also tested and they are also negative. She is therefore no longer considered a COVID-19 case.

This therefore means there is only one confirmed death caused by COVID-19 in South Africa.

I have been informed that the health workers that managed this patient have been debriefed and counselled. I am aware that the public interest around COVID-19 may end up making them feel like they did not perform their duties with outmost care.

As a clinician myself, I want reassure them that making such a diagnosis on presentation is line with our plea to them to keep a high index of suspicion so as not to miss a diagnosis of COVID-19.

This is common practice, medical doctors often make a diagnosis based on a clinical presentation and physical examination of a patient. They then conduct further tests to confirm or disprove the diagnosis.

In this instance, doctors and all health workers involved exercised clinical judgment and took extra precaution in managing this patient. We support this approach.

therefore want to acknowledge and appreciate all our doctors, nurses and all the health workers who were treating these patients. We salute them for their dedication in the service of the nation.

We urge them to remain courageous & focused. We also want to assure all our health workers in the country, who remain in frontline of this pandemic, as @HealthZA & government as a whole, will do everything in our powers to provide support required for them to execute their duties

Overwhelming as circumstances may be, we ask you to keep up the fight. This is only the beginning and your commitment assures us that we will overcome.

CLINICAL OBSERVATIONS WE HAVE MADE THAT ARE OF CONCERN:
1. The infection of people with underlying concomitant diseases is increasing. This is well illustrated by the COVID-19 patient that has passed away in the Western Cape.

We therefore urge our citizens to be vigilant, protect themselves and not unnecessarily expose themselves by making contact with a lot of people. It is important to remain in
your home, create a distance between yourself and anyone, including family members, that are unwell.

HIV Positive people with a low CD4 count: This therefore emphasises the importance everyone to know their status, get tested and immediately start treatment should they
test positive.

- Chronic Lung Diseases, including TB, Asthma and COPD
- Auto Immune Diseases of Any Kind
- Chronic Kidney Diseases
- Cancer
- Diabetes

2. Other population groups that are vulnerable are:
- Smokers & dependant alcohol consumers. We encourage smokers to quit smoking and for those who drink alcohol, to do so moderately.

In KZN 1 of confirmed cases is 81 year old female who is now in ICU and on a ventilator. She initially presented with pneumonia & was admitted and treated as such. Because of severity of pneumonia, she was tested for COVID- 19 & was confirmed. She lives in an old age home.

As a result, all other elderly people from this old age home are regarded as being vulnerable and are being tested. Those who will test positive will then be put in isolation.

4. There is an increase in the rate of internal transmissions. Patients without a history of travelling abroad have been detected in many provinces.

The Free State province is such an example. The majority of 61 patients infected arose from the church conference which had five international visitors who

subsequently tested positive for COVID-19