BY NATION REPORTER
Eight new cases of the Omicron Covid-19 variant have been detected in Lusaka in the last 24 hours taking the number to 11 since the first three cases were recorded, minister of Health, Sylvia Masebo, has said.
Ms Masebo said International travel remained the common risk factor with five of the eight having a history of recent international travel.
She said the age range among the eight was 18 to 76 years of which five were male and five of the eight were vaccinated against Covid-19.
‘’From my last update, I wish to inform you that we have detected the Covid-19 Omicron variant in an additional eight persons all from Lusaka District, cumulating to 11 so far,’’ she said.
Ms Masebo said looking at the severity of the disease, they were inclined to think the vaccination had offered protection from severe disease.
“All the patients have a combination of common symptoms including headache, fever, cough, cold, general body pains. One also experienced abdominal pains. On a positive note, the first three individuals in whom the Covid-19 Omicron variant was detected have recovered and now tested negative to SARS-CoV-2,’’ she said.
She said sadly, the country had begun to see an increase in both new and total admissions, including in the private facilities. Ms Masebo said this week alone, health facilities had already seen 19 new admissions since Monday, 4 times more than the country had seen in over three months.
“With ongoing concerns surrounding the new Covid-19 variant, Omicron, our surveillance and laboratory teams continue to heighten surveillance, contact tracing and testing,” she said. She said on a sad note, the country recorded one new death in the last 24 hours, which had been classified as a Covid -19 associated death. Ms Masebo said the patient was a nine-year-old female, taking the cumulative number of Covid-19 related deaths recorded to 3,669 classified as 2,744 Covid-19 deaths and 925 Covid-19 associated deaths.
