Quarantined patient at Joburg hospital sparks coronavirus scare

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Johannesburg - As the deadly coronavirus spreads to more countries, fear has gripped Milpark Hospital employees after an area of the Joburg institution was cordoned off for about two weeks. Nurses at the institution have been worried about fears of the virus after a patient was admitted nearly two weeks ago and placed in quarantine. A nurse, who declined to be named, said they were only informed that the patient had a germ. “We don’t know what type of germ it is. All you ever see is people in big silver suits and masks walking in and out of the area. “We are worried about what is happening because we think it might be the coronavirus,” the nurse said.

Fears of the Covid-19 have spread worldwide since the outbreak in China’s Hubei province.

Since then, the respiratory disease has spread to Italy, Iran, South Korea and Germany. In Africa, Algeria is confirmed to have two cases from Italian nationals.

So far, no cases have been confirmed locally.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) was monitoring the outbreak and have to date tested about 121 people and all have been negative.

Mande Toubkin, general manager emergency, trauma and transplant at Netcare Hospitals which also encompasses Milpark Hospital, said there were currently no suspected cases of the disease at any of their facilities.

“In the event that there is a confirmed Covid-19 case in South Africa, it will be announced by the Department of Health.”

Toubkin said it was nothing untoward to keep patients in isolation.

“Like most other hospitals, Netcare has patients in isolation from time-to-time; we can however confirm this is in no way related to Covid-19,” she said.

She said if the dreaded virus did come to the country, the hospital group was ready.

“The Netcare Group has, as is appropriate, taken the necessary steps to ensure its readiness in responding to and managing any cases relating to the virus, should the need arise, as well as to risk assess all admissions for possible exposure to the virus,” she said.

Toubkin added that the group had developed a set of comprehensive clinical risk-assessment pathways in consultation with the NICD.

“These are used routinely and diligently as a precautionary measure by our emergency medical personnel, doctors and hospital staff to assess any patient who may have been exposed to risk factors associated with the coronavirus.

“These clinical pathways comprehensively cover the risk assessment of these patients, as well as their possible need for further management.

“Healthcare operations within the Netcare Group continue to co-operate closely with the Department of Health and the NICD in their efforts to monitor and prevent the spread of infections such as the coronavirus in South Africa,” Toubkin said.

Meanwhile, The Mail & Guardian on Wednesday reported that the government had decided to evacuate South Africans from Wuhan in China, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak. It was reported that the evacuation and subsequent quarantine would cost an estimated R80million.

A site was allegedly identified in the Free State to house the quarantine centre.



