Image: GALLO IMAGES/AFP/BERND THISSEN
As Egypt this weekend became the first African state to confirm a case of novel coronavirus – now named COVID-19 – the National Institute for Communicable Diseases said all tests in South Africa had come back negative.
The NICD said on Monday: “Of a total of 83 tests conducted on individuals from within South Africa, 46 met the case definition for COVID-19 PUI [person under investigation] and 37 did not.”
All of these tests, the institute said, were negative.
The NICD said the COVID-19 outbreak in China has spread to other parts of the world and Africa reported its first confirmed case over the past weekend in Egypt.
— NICD (@nicd_sa) February 17, 2020
The institute said when investigating any outbreak or epidemic, it developed case definitions based on current information.
It said as a precautionary measure, in addition to testing cases meeting the PUI case definition, the institute had broadened testing for SARS-CoV-2 to include additional individuals who fell outside the clinical case definitions.
“The NICD remains on high alert for any suspected cases of COVID-19 and has been following up on information from health care professionals and the public toll-free number,” the institute said in a statement.
BY: ERNEST MABUZA
SOURCE: TMG DIGITAL
