COVID-19: MASK UP OR DIE

As Zambia teeters at the brink of the Covid catastrophe

... Patients in Levy and UTH on oxygen

The challenge we have now is that people have relaxed towards observing Covid-19 measures such as masking up and social distancing,”

– Dr. Abel Kabalo

AS Zambia teeters at the brink of the Covid castastrophe, the Ministry of Health has stepped up contact tracing and community surveilance but the situation is dire, its spokesperson Abel Kabalo has said.

Dr Kabalo said the ministry has upscaled Covid-19 contact tracing and surveillance especially with the upswing of cases to curtail spread of the pandemic.

And the country’s two biggest hospitals are battling to save lives of people on oxygen who are struggling to breathe, Professor Lloyd Mulenga, Director Infectious Diseases has said.

Prof. Mulenga said in an interview yesterday that the University Teaching Hospital had patients and so did Levy

Hospital, all labouring to breathe due to covid.

The Professor said, “we are on the verge of a catastrophe. We have a lot of sick people on oxygen. People labouring to breath.”

He said the number of BIDs (brought in dead) was also frightening because there were too many sudden deaths and people just collapsing.

There are also, he said, suspicious cases in many private health facilities.

“We have beefed up the numbers of doctors and other health personnel but it is scary,” Prof Mulenga said.

He said there were VIPs (very important persons) admitted and people from the high density areas because everyone was affected.

Dr Kabalo said officials were still on the ground to carryout contact tracing to ensure that Covid-19 does not affect more people.

Dr Kabalo said Zambia is at the brink of a Covid catastrophe because people have not taken the disease seriously and refuse to mask and social distance.

He complained that people were not masking up or bothering to observe Covid prevention guidelines.

He also warned that there was no self-treatment for Covid and all suspected cases must be reported to the health authorities.

He explained that covid was making sugar levels to go up in some cases, simulating diabetes and therefore treatment could not be standard for all patients.

“There can not be a standard treatment for patients as people are treated according to what they present,” he said.

Meanwhile, the ministry has instituted inspections of private facilities to ensure compliance with covid-19 testing protocols.

This followed complaints of lack of testing in some facilities leading to suspected covid deaths after patients are discharged.