Regional Health Authorities prepared for Corona

Estelle de Bruyn

Coastal residents should refrain from panicking about Covid-19. This is the mes-sage of the Chief Medical Officer of the Ministry of Health and Social Services in the Erongo Region, Dr Amir Shaker.

“Here at the coast, colds and flu are common occurrences. It will not be wise for everyone with a runny nose to run to the hospital.
“If people have a fever of 37.5 degrees or higher, are experiencing a dry cough and have difficulty breathing as well as a history of travel, they must contact their closest state hospital.
We advise people who are experiencing these symptoms to not come to the hospital. We will rather send a health worker to the suspected patient to check the symptoms,” Shaker said.
“Not all people who contract the virus will need to be hospitalised. In most cases people will need to self-quarantine and treat the symptoms at home. Only in severe cases, where people experience respiratory stress, will they be hospitalised and given oxygen.
“All state hospitals have isolation units in place,” he said.
He is also satisfied that currently coastal hospitals have sufficient supplies of surgical masks and gloves for medical staff.
Shaker explained that there is currently no medication to treat the virus and worldwide only the symptoms are treated. “If people are coughing, they will be treated with cough medicine, if they are experiencing high fevers, the fever will be treated.

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