The Somaliland National Preparedness Committee against COVID-19 on Tuesday confirmed the country’s first two cases tested positive of the novel coronavirus.
The Committee announced that a national who recently came back from Britain, and currently living in Burao, and a Chinese national in Berbera tested positive.
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The announcement added that both patients were in no immediate danger and that their conditions were stable.
“We confirm the first two cases of COVID-19 in the Republic of Somaliland as being one Somaliland National who came back from Britain and a Chinese citizen. The clinical status of the two patients remains stable, and we are closely monitoring their situation,” the NPCC officially tweeted.
The Republic of Somaliland’s Minister for Health Development, Omar Ali Abdullahi, officially declared the existence of the two cases to national media at a press conference he held at his office.
Minister Omar said the two cases were first identified on the 25th.
“After initial suspicions, national laboratories indicated positivity. Then we sent more blood samples to WHO-recognized in Kenya. The latter results came in on the evening of the 30th concurring earlier findings,” he said.
The Minister added that appropriate authorities are tracing other people those the two patients had had contact within the recent past days.
Somaliland issued strict measures in a bid to combat the deadly COVID-19 by shutting down all learning centers and all public gatherings across the country.
Coronavirus condition overview by World Health Organization
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus.
Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. Older people and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illnesses.
The best way to prevent and slow down transmission is to be well informed about the COVID-19 virus, the disease it causes and how it spreads. Protect yourself and others from infection by washing your hands or using an alcohol-based rub frequently and not touching your face.
The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it’s important that you also practice respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow).
At this time, there are no specific vaccines or treatments for COVID-19. However, there are many ongoing clinical trials evaluating potential treatments. WHO will continue to provide updated information as soon as clinical findings become available.
