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The Government has reported 54 recoveries from Covid-19, the highest so far, even as the country went two steps back with a triple-digit figure of confirmed cases.
Health Chief Administrative Secretary Dr Rashid Aman reported 123 new cases from a sample of 2,112 tested in the last 24 hours. This is while the number of recoveries reached 553.
The CAS, who issued the update yesterday said that was the highest number of persons discharged since April 1, when the country recorded its first recovery.
“This demonstrates that, with good management, this disease, when clinically manifested, is curable and hence not a death sentence,” he said.
The number of deaths from the disease has, however, gone up to 74 after three more patients succumbed. All three patients are male, with one from Nairobi and two from Nyeri.
“The youngest is a 12-year-old boy who tested positive for Covid-19 posthumously while the other two are 41 and 71 years of age,” said Dr Aman.
Underlying conditions among them diabetes, asthma, hypertension and HIV have been linked to Covid-19 deaths and make the bigger portion of patients admitted in intensive care units.
“Not all confirmed cases are severe. As such, not all of them warrant ICU admission,” said Health Director General Dr Patrick Amoth.
He said an estimated 80 per cent of those who have once needed critical care recover, which is better than the global rate of 70 per cent.
Ministry data shows seven out of 10 Covid-19 patients in the country are asymptomatic, hence their cases not severe. With this number, it is expected that Kenya should be recording more recoveries.
“The recovery rate could be slow because tests are done after 14 days. However, we are working on new protocols which will see more people in isolation discharged,” he said in an online Question and Answer session.
Kenya’s fatality rate stands at 3.4 per cent, which is about half of the global six per cent. The modeling of the ministry is that when Kenya will be getting to its new peak in August and September with 200 new cases expected as the daily tally, the death toll will be at 160 to 180.
At the time, cases will be standing at 5,000. The number of confirmed cases now stands at 2,216, with a total of 85,058 samples tested. The ministry, however, has been reluctant to divulge the challenge related to testing capacity, with some persons in quarantine centres and mass testing yet to receive their results.
“Backlog of samples is normal in such a situation. Sometimes it is created by the sheer number of samples or shortage of reagents which is a phenomenon globally,” said CAS Aman.
Dr Aman said the aim is to ensure persons who need their test results urgently get them on time.
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