Uganda confirms first Covid-19 death.

By; Ben Musanje

23^rd July 2020

Uganda has registered her first Covid-19 death, the ministry of Health has confirmed.

The deceased was a 34-year-old Ugandan support staff working in Namisindwa District, according to Dr Henry Mwebesa, the director general health services.

She first presented with Covid-like signs and symptoms including fever, dry cough, headache and difficulty in breathing.

She was initially admitted to Wasungui HC II on Wednesday (July 15, 2020) and treated for severe pneumonia.

However, on Monday (July 20, 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. She passed on Tuesday (July 21, 2020) at 2:00am and was buried today Thursday (July 23, 2020) as per Safe Dignified Burial procedures.

At first it had been indicated that the deceased was not a Ugandan however Further investigations established that she was a Ugandan from Manafwa, Bubulo East, Namabya- Namunyali- Sisongofwa,” Dr Mwebesa confirmed in a press conference in Kampala

The post-mortem samples from the deceased were confirmed positive for SARS-COV-2 by four laboratories: UVRI, CPHL, Tororo and Makerere.

The Namasindwa District Task Force has reportedly been reactivated to coordinate the district response.

So far, 30 contacts to the deceased have been listed and placed under quarantine by the health authorities in Namisindwa and Mbale districts. They include family members, and healthcare workers, with the process of contact identification and listing still ongoing.

The first death comes as the country’s Covid-19 cases rose to 1,079. A total of 971 Ugandans have recovered from the virus since the first case was confirmed in March this year.