The ministry of Health has confirmed Uganda’s first case of COVID-19 death in Uganda.
According to the Director General Health Services at the ministry of Health, Dr. Henry Mwebesa, the case is a 34 year old Ugandan female, resident of Namisindwa District who presented with COVID like signs and symptoms fever,dry cough,headache and difficulty in breathing.
The deceased was initially admitted to Wasungui HC II on Wednesday, 15th July, 2020 and treated for severe pneumonia. However, on Monday, 20th July, 2020, she was transferred to Joy Hospice health facility, in Mbale District, where she was isolated in the female ward.
While in isolation, the patient’s condition deteriorated with difficulty in breathing, cough, chills and headache. Unfortunately, she passed on on Tuesday 21st July, 2020 at 2:00am.
According to the MOH, the victim was buried on 23rd July 2020 as per Safe Dignified Burial procedures.
An earlier report from the ministry had indicated that the deceased was not a Ugandan but further investigations have since established that she was a Ugandan from Manafwa, Bubulo East, Namabya- Namunyali- Sisongofwa.
The postmortem samples from the deceased were confirmed positive for SARS-COV-2 by 4 laboratories: UVRI, CPHL, Tororo and Makerere. In addition, findings at postmortem showed features of acute pneumonia; findings that are consistent with COVID-19 infection.
The first covid-19 death comes after exactly four months since covid-19 was confirmed in Uganda on 22nd March, 2020.
In response, the MOH says the Namasindwa District Task Force has been reactivated to coordinate the district response. So far, thirty ( 30) contacts to the deceased have been listed and placed under quarantine by the health authorities in Namisindwa (18 contacts) and Mbale Districty (12 contacts).
MOH says the listed contacts so far include family members, and healthcare workers and process of contact identification and listing is still ongoing, and we believe the number of contacts may increase as the extensive epidemiological investigation evolves.
The contacts will be monitored daily for fourteen (14) days as per our protocol by district surveillance teams supported by Ministry of Health experts who will be deployed in the district, according to the MOH.
