Uganda has registered the first COVID-19 death 4 months after the first confirmed case was reported in March.
According to the Ministry of Health, the deceased, a 34 year old Ugandan, was a support staff working at Wasungui Health Centre II in Namavia Sub County in Namisindwa District.
“She presented with signs and symptoms consistent with COVID-19 presentation that included; fever, dry cough, headache and difficulty in breathing,” says Henry Mwebesa, Director Health Services at the Ministry of Health.
Mwebesa said in a statement that the deceased was initially admitted to Wasungui HC II on Wednesday, 15th July, 2020 and treated for severe pneumonia. However, on Monday, 20th July, 2020, she was transferred to Joy Hospice health facility, in Mbale District, where she was isolated in the female ward.
“While in isolation, the patient's condition deteriorated with difficulty in breathing, cough, chills and headache. Unfortunately, she passed on on Tuesday 21st July, 2020 at 2:00am,” he said, adding the deceased was buried on Thursday as per Safe Dignified Burial procedures.
Earlier reports had indicated that the deceased was not a Ugandan, but Ministry of Health confirmed that the deceased was a Ugandan from Manafwa, Bubulo East, Namabya- Namunyati-Sisongofwa.
Dr. Mwebesa said that the postmortem samples from the deceased were confirmed positive for SARS-COV-2 by 4 laboratories: UVRI, CPHL, Tororo and Makerere. In addition, gross anatomy findings at postmortem showed features of acute pneumonia; findings that are consistent with COVID-19 infection.
So far, 30 contacts to the deceased have been listed and placed under quarantine by the health authorities in Namisindwa district. The listed contacts so far include family members, and healthcare workers. To date, Uganda has registered 1079 cumulative confirmed cases of Ugandans and a total of 971 Ugandan recoveries.
