A confidential document surrounding the death of a 79-year-old Bulawayo man who died of Coronavirus has revealed that the patient’s samples could not be taken to Harare on time because of lockdown regulations which bar intercity travels.
Meanwhile, residents of Qalisa Retirement Village where the person stayed are living in fear authorities have not been forthcoming to visit the area to assist them with proper quarantining methods, testing them or fumigating the place.
The man is the second case to die in Zimbabwe.
Read the confidential report below:
Client admitted at Mxxxx xxx Hospital on the 02 of April 2020. Moved to isolation cubicle in Intensive Care Unit the following morning. Given oxygen, and other medication, not put on a ventilator, test for COVID-19 (among other tests) done. Passed on 04″ April and disinfection protocols instituted.
Symptoms and signs (at least 2 days)
– cough
– breathing difficulty
– sore throat
– temperature 36°C (at time of RRT visit)
History of presenting complaints
Having been to Gxxxx lodge 14-16 March, he on March the 23″ developed sore throat, fever and cough. He underwent treatment using antibiotics by his General Practitioner (GP). The worsening shortness of breath led to attendance at Mxxxxxxx accident and emergency unit on the 02″ of April. He was admitted to first floor overnight then transferred to isolation cubicle of the intensive care unit on the morning of the third floor on the 03″ of April. A physician was asked to see the patient; suspected Covid-19 and he called the local rapid response team and
instituted isolation in intensive care unit (ICU) cubicle bed. The Rapid Response Team (RRT) from came and did a throat swab on the same day. The patient passed on the 04″ April. The disinfection team was called and came in to spray, and barrier methods of the body and waste management done.
Body disposal- Cremation.
Having failed to meet the courier services on Friday 03 April and having the lockdown (no travel” between cifies_allowed) the sample that had been collected moved to Harare By courier overnight on Monday 06 April and was processed at thé National “Microbiology Reference Laboratory at the Sally Mugabe Central Hospital in Harare on the 07” and results found to be positive.
Travel History
The deceased lived in a secluded community in Bulawayo. He had been to Gxxxx Lodge in Hwange from the 14″ to the 16″ of March 2020, a place that is visited bytourists. He had received a visitor from the UK a few days past.
Action plan
As of the 2100hrs, on 07″ April 2020 the rapid response team (together with the disinfection team) had gone back to the hospital to:
– find the next of kin
– dig deeper into the travel history (modes of travel, passenger manifest, etc)
– identify and list all contacts, including the attending GP
– collect swabs from contacts — (at least 13 collected by then, more to be
collected on 08″ April 2020)
– find and isolate contacts (the hospital have a self isolation facility for staff)
– monitor all contacts for 14 to 21 days ice. till 18″ to 25″ April 2020
NB: This report is intended for official use only.
It will be shared with the local response taskforce, as chaired by the Honorable Provincial Minister of State as well as the Provincial Development Coordinator, and Town Clerk.
It will also be shared with the neighbouring provinces, and the Ministry of Health and Child Care Epidemiology and Disease Control Unit for onward transmission to the Permanent Secretary.
For insight, introspection and peer review it will be shared with academic/ professional bodies so as to get input of continuous quality improvement on Epidemic Preparedness Response.
This report will be regularly updated and shared to relevant authorities as more information is received. As per requirement a Situational Report (Sit Rep) will be generated.