By NewsDesk @bactiman63

To add to a report earlier on the first COVID-19 case in Egypt, and in Africa, the Africa CDC released a statement saying the patient is male, 33 years old, of foreign origin and is currently receiving treatment at an isolation centre in Egypt. The 17 contacts of the patient have tested negative, and all of them are under home isolation for 14 days. They are being followed up by the Ministry of Health and Population.  

Image by Katherine Ab from Pixabay

We are confident that Egypt has the expertise to manage the situation. Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is communicating with officials in Egypt and the World Health Organization Office for the Eastern Mediterranean Region to coordinate support for Egypt in responding to this outbreak. 

Africa CDC is working closely with the WHO and other partners to ensure that the diagnostic tools needed by Egypt are available and that they take the right actions to contain the outbreak as quickly as possible.  

Dr John Nkengasong, Director, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said they anticipated that the COVID-19 outbreak would inevitably impact Africa. That is why Africa CDC has been working actively with African Union Member States and partners in the past four weeks and investing in preparedness and response to the disease. This detection by Egyptian authorities is evidence of the strategy that Africa CDC and Member States have adopted in combating the disease.

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Last week, in Dakar, Senegal, we conducted training and supplied test kits to 16 African laboratories, including from Egypt.  Egypt also received additional test kits from the WHO. 

This week, we are conducting training in Nairobi, Kenya, for 40 participants from nine countries, including Egypt, on enhancing detection and investigation of COVID-19 at points-of-entry. The training is co-facilitated by Africa CDC, WHO, and the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO). Two airlines, Kenya Airways and South African Airlines, are also represented in the training. 

Blood flukes in Black and White

In the next two weeks, further training and resources will be provided to Egypt and other at-risk countries for infection prevention and control in healthcare facilities, medical management of COVID-19, and risk communication and community engagement.