Coronavirus patients drop stigma to seek hospital help

People with acute Covid-19 symptoms are increasingly seeking help at local hospitals, the Health ministry reported Wednesday, citing a drop in home deaths.

In what signals general acceptance of the reality of a ravaging pandemic, new Covid-19 deaths are now being reported by hospitals.

Health Services director general Patrick Amoth hailed interventions that have pushed the behaviour change “especially in counties like Mombasa where seriously sick people now seek medical care at health facilities.”

By mid-last month, close to 30 percent of the reported 50 deaths had happened at home.

Mombasa accounted for most of the home deaths at the time. Since then, an additional 80 deaths had been recorded but a majority had happened at a health facilities, said Dr Amoth.

“Initially, especially in Mombasa, we recorded a number of home-based deaths but because of intensified interventions and behaviour change communication by the team in Mombasa, we are recording fewer community based deaths,” said Dr Amoth.

“The two deaths that happened over the last 24 hours happened in hospitals. A majority of our people are going to seek services in health facilities, and the majority of those that have lost their lives was at the health care facilities level”.

On Wednesday, the ministry announced 254 new cases, bringing the total to 5,206 in the country.

Nairobi reported 127 cases, Mombasa, Migori, Kajiado, Kiambu and Busia had 36, 29, 22, 12 and nine, respectively.

Uasin Gishu recorded five, Murang'a three while Machakos and Kilifi counties each had two cases. Nakuru, Siaya, Taita Taveta, Garissa, Isiolo, Kakamega and Kisii had a case each.

Nairobi and Mombasa counties have the highest infection rate of Covid-19 at 55.2 and 107.9 per 100,000 population respectively when compared to the national rate of 10.4 percent.

The growing numbers have led to the launch of the home-based care.

The cases recorded were from 4,859 samples tested over the past 24 hours.

Some 41 persons were also discharged, bringing total recoveries to 1,823.