Coronavirus in Africa: Suspected cases in Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Kenya

The first suspected case of coronavirus in Africa was announced in Ivory Coast when a 34-year-old student who returned from Beijing showed flu-like symptoms.

The traveller has lived in China for the past five years, according to the statement released by Ivory Coast’s health ministry, and had shown flu-like symptoms before boarding the plane to Abidjan.

Ethiopia has also confirmed four possible cases according to Ethiopia’s state-affiliated FANA Broadcasting Corporate, FBC.

“The students arrived in Ethiopia from a university in Wuhan, Chain’s worst-affected city by the disease,” the report added.

Also, Kenya Airways confirmed that one of its passengers who had travelled from the Chinese city of Wuhan to Nairobi had presented coronavirus-like symptoms and was rushed to hospital on arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

‘‘Kenya Airways confirms that a passenger who travelled on our flight KQ886 from Guangzhou to Nairobi on 28 January 2020 has, as a precautionary measure, been quarantined at the Kenyatta National Hospital,” KQ said in a statement.

The county’s health ministry said it was investigating the suspected case at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) isolation ward.

‘‘He was brought by the airport surveillance ambulance and is currently going through tests to rule out or confirm if he indeed has the disease,’‘ KNH Communications manager Hezekiel Gikambi told a local newspaper.

The Daily Nation added that KQ’s crew had isolated the passenger during the flight and provided him with a face mask, as per ICAO protocols.

Coronavirus has killed no lesser than 100 people with more than 4,000 cases reported.

The Federal Government has assured Nigerians of its readiness to strengthening surveillance at five international airports in the country to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.

The five international airports are in Enugu, Lagos, Rivers, Kano and the FCT.

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said the government would also set up an inter-multisectoral committee to scale up surveillance and vigilance.