Gambia is yet to register coronavirus-Health Minister

By Vandaz Oluwa

Dr. Ahmad Lamin Samateh, the Minister of Health has yesterday briefed the press on the level of preparedness for coronavirus, while clarified that no cases has been confirmed yet.

"The Gambia is yet to register a case of confirmed corona virus infection. 355 people of interest have been followed with home isolation. 149 of them have completed follow-up without any symptoms and 206 are currently under surveillance and none has shown symptoms. Of the total seen, only 8 required laboratory testing and were all negative."

He stated that WHO have help health ministry with 8.8 million dollars for the preparedness of the disease.

Dr. Samateh explained that the disease has been confirmed in at least 135 countries in the world and in almost all continents; adding 142,539 cases has been confirmed globally with 5393 deaths.

He said Senegal has declared many confirmed cases and there is local transmission from person to person in Senegal.

"The detection of the disease in Senegal which is the only neighbour to the Gambia means that our efforts in the prevention of the case have to be strengthening."

He continued to said we are all susceptible to the disease, and thus the likelihood that The Gambia will be affected is high due to its proximity to Senegal which confirmed several cases.

"Among those who become infected, some will exhibit no symptoms. Early data suggested that those who develop an illness, the greatest majority will have a mild-to-moderate, but self limiting illness, similar to seasonal flu."

He explained that minority of people who get the disease will develop complications severe enough to require hospital care, most often pneumonia.

He added in small proportion of these, the illness may be severe enough to lead to death.

"The Gambia government through the Ministry of Health has been planning an initial response based on information available at the time, in a context of uncertainty that can be scaled up and down in response to new information to ensure a flexible and proportionate response."

Samateh reiterated that they monitor local, national and international data and information continuously to model what might happen next, over the immediate and longer terms.