Estella Naicker
Eight people have now tested positive for Covid-19 at health care facilities in the Amajuba District.
MediClinic Newcastle confirmed yesterday that a second patient who was admitted to the hospital has tested positive for the coronavirus.
The patient’s positive test results for Covid-19 were made available to the hospital on Wednesday afternoon. The hospital would not disclose the age or gender of the patient, saying that this would be a breach of confidentiality regulations, nor would they reveal if this case of Covid-19 infection is a result of travel or local transmission.
This brings the total number of Covid-19 cases that were confirmed in health facilities in the Amajuba District to eight. In addition to this, two Amajuba residents tested positive at healthcare facilities outside the Amajuba District, one at MediClinic Pietermaritzburg and one at Entabeni Hospital.
MediClinic admitted its first patient who tested positive with Covid-19 on March 19. The patient, a male with no travel history was discharged from hospital on March 23 as he was well enough to self-isolate at home. He has since made a full recovery from the virus.
Chief clinical officer of MediClinic Southern Africa, Dr Stefan Smuts, stated that MediClinic Newcastle has implemented the necessary measures to manage patients testing positive with the virus to prevent any potential transmission in the facility.
“Suspected Covid-19 patients who require medical support from MediClinic Newcastle are accommodated in an isolation unit, where our nursing staff are trained and equipped to manage the patient according to the level of care the illness requires,” said Dr Smuts.
“The majority of cases testing positive for the virus are referred home for self-isolation, where they can recover in the comfort of their own home, monitored telephonically by their respective primary healthcare provider.”
Dr Smuts urged the public to take the necessary precautions against Covid-19 by practicing good hand hygiene, social distancing, as well as adhering to lockdown requirements.
“We also encourage anyone experiencing signs and symptoms of the disease, such as shortness of breath, fever, sore throat, coughing, or who believe that they may have been exposed to the virus, tocontact their healthcare provider,” concluded Dr Smuts.
Source: https://northernnatalnews.co.za/243617/mediclinic-newcastle-admits-second-confirmed-covid-19-patient