Editorial

Reduced Covid-19 cases in Kenya are due to low testing and contact tracing- WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has on Monday said that the decline in the number of Covid-19 cases in Kenya is as a result of the low testing and contact

Reduced Covid-19 cases in Kenya are due to low testing and contact tracing- WHO
  • PublishedAugust 31, 2020

The World Health Organization (WHO) has on Monday said that the decline in the number of Covid-19 cases in Kenya is as a result of the low testing and contact tracing.

WHO says Kenya has not yet flattened the curve and so it shouldn’t be quick to relax the Covid-19 precautionary measures.

“For now, we would warn against premature relaxation of the effective measures put in place by the Kenyan government. We advise that the wearing of masks, the frequent washing or sanitising should remain in place,” WHO cautioned in a statement.

In August, the number of Covid-19 cases has reduced compared to July. This has caused health officials to conclude that the curve is finally starting to flatten.

But WHO has pointed out that Covid-19 testing has significantly reduced because there is a shortage in testing and specimen collection kits. The health body has also observed that Kenya has been testing low-risk groups.

Covid-19 infection rate in Kenya has reduced in the past one week – Dr Amoth
But to flatten the curve, Kenya needs to reduce the infection rate by one per cent and maintain that for at least two weeks.

Another reason for the reduced Covid-19 cases is ineffective contact-tracing.

“There has also been minimal contact tracing in the recent past among the top 10 counties with the highest burden of disease. 58% of the cases have pending, incomplete contact tracing and only 129 positive contacts were reported from 1st August to 23rd August 2020. In Nairobi, 42% of cases were pending contact listing, while over 90% were pending in Kiambu, Machakos, Mombasa, Kajiado, Busia and Nakuru Counties,” the WHO statement reads.

The international health body has, therefore, urged Kenya to increase testing and contact tracing to get more comprehensive data.

“Testing needs to be strengthened to capture a greater proportion of suspected cases within the testing regimen,” WHO noted.

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