Anxiety as China national hospitalised in Kisumu

A Chinese contractor has been admitted to an isolation ward in Aga Khan hospital, Kisumu, after he developed coronavirus-related symptoms.

The man, who was not identified came in from China on February 13. After arriving in Kisumu on February 14, the Chinese was driven to Ugunja in Siaya County where he and other contractors are working on a water project.

The hospital’s medical director Patrick Eshiwani, said the client was received on Thursday at 3pm. He had been ill for three days and complained of chest pains.

“When we tested him yesterday, he had symptoms of pneumonia. Other tests could not be done immediately,” Dr Eshiwani explained.

He added: “The man was brought in with a female colleague who tested negative and was discharged.” The samples taken from the patient were flown to Nairobi and the results are expected after 48 hours.

“But he is being observed closely. So far we can report that he is in stable condition even as samples have been taken to Nairobi Flue-lab for further medical tests,” Eshiwani said.

December holidays

He explained that they examined the patients travel history. “We noticed that during the December holidays, he traveled to China and came back.”

This is the third person to be quarantined in Kenya over suspicion of coronavirus. The first patient was at the Kenyatta National Hospital in January.

On January 28, the Ministry of Health was notified of a passenger aboard flight KQ 887 from Guangzhou China who, upon screening on arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) was found to have fever.

The passenger was temporarily isolated at JKIA and later rushed to KNH. Samples from his body were sent to South Africa for further tests.

The coronavirus was first confirmed in the Chinese city of Wuhan on January 7. It has since killed more than 1,000 people with thousands of others infected.

Cases have since been confirmed in other countries.

Today, when the Standard team visited Aga Khan hospital, Kisumu they found patients being screened.

The medical officers have advised residents who traveled to mainland China, Thailand, Japan, Republic of South Korea to go for screening.