There are no active Covid-19 cases in Zimbabwe but the country is experiencing a wave of winter-related influenza, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora confirmed yesterday, noting that all local Muslim pilgrims who had returned from the Hajj in Mecca were free of infection.
The World Health Organisation issued a warning that there was a fresh wave of the Covid-19 virus in some countries with pilgrims who had returned from Hajj, the Muslim pilgrimage, in Mecca in Saudi Arabia and all countries should increase surveillance by screening at ports of entry while putting those returning from the pilgrimage in isolation.
Zimbabwe had already taken the precautionary measures but Dr Mombeshora said no case of Covid-19 has been reported among residents who had returned from Mecca.
They had all completed the Covid-19 incubation period without a single infection being reported.
Dr Mombeshora said while the strain of influenza being reported in Zimbabwe was severe, it had no relation to the Covid-19 virus.
“There are no Covid-19 cases here in Zimbabwe but there is the flu virus which is very common during the winter season because of the cold weather. The Ministry has been monitoring cases and we have not seen anyone positive Covid-19 for over a month now.
“Two weeks ago, there was a pilgrimage, and individuals who travelled back from that region have now finished the Covid-19 incubation period, with not a single positive case recorded,” he said.
While Zimbabwe reported more than 200 000 cases of Covid-19 and an excess of 5 000 deaths, the pandemic has been under control for nearly a year now with only a few cases being reported in the last six months.
The symptoms for Covid-19 and flu are similar, but experts say most people with the flu get better on their own.
According to the WHO, sometimes complications from the flu illness are reported and these can be deadly for young children below 12 months, pregnant women or women who gave birth during flu season, adults older than age 65 as well as people with co-morbidities.
Reports show that the type of influenza viruses being recorded in the country are types A and B, with type A being more dominant and causing the seasonal outbreak of flu cases.
Minister Mombeshora said the current influenza bug was severe because of the mutations in its variations.
“The reason why the flu bug is more severe is that these viruses mutate. And these deaths are not caused by flu but people with a weak immune system tend to get some other infections which will further weaken their (immune) system,” he added.
There are around a billion cases of seasonal flu annually around the world, including 3 to 5 million cases of severe illness. Flu also causes 290 000 to 650 000 respiratory deaths annually. It is estimated that 99 percent of deaths in children under 5 years of age with influenza-related lower respiratory tract infections are reported in developing countries.
On other diseases, the drastic steps taken to control cholera had succeeded and Zimbabwe was now regarded as cholera fee after no new cases for 13 days.
“I am glad to announce that Zimbabwe has recorded 13 days with no cholera cases and this is a major milestone. Zimbabwe is a cholera free country,” he said.
