23 Oct 2023

The Ministry of Health has allayed fears that the country could be facing a flu outbreak. 

In an interview, Chief Public Relations Officer, Dr Christopher Nyanga, said although some weeks would see an increase in flu cases, the situation was generally under control across all districts. 

On what could be contributing to the increase in flu cases, Dr Nyanga said most influenza-like illnesses were caused by a virus, which people caught if they came into contact with an infected person or breathe in droplets from the cough or sneeze of an infected person. 

He further ruled out any linkages between the current flu cases and the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“There does not seem to be any relationship between influenza-like illnesses and the COVID-19 cases recorded in the country lately. Most people with influenza-like illnesses have been testing negative for COVID-19,” he reiterated. 

Dr Nyanga said the COVID-19 situation in the country was stable and the ministry had been recording an average of less than 20 cases per week for most part of this year. 

He, however, said as a precaution, members of the public should keep away from people showing symptoms of influenza-like illnesses. 

He also said members of the public should also be quick to visit the nearest health facility whenever they experienced any flu-like symptoms for immediate medical attention. 

Regarding the COVID-19 vaccination campaign progress, he said the campaign had slowed down dramatically. 

“Given the few cases of COVID-19 in the country, there has been little to no demand for COVID-19 vaccination over the past months,” Dr Nyanga added. BOPA