Flu and cough not Covid - Health ministry

The Department of Infectious Disease Control at the Health Ministry has said coronavirus is not driving the wave of cough and flu, which is sweeping through the country. 
Dr Patrick Tusiime, the commissioner for communicable diseases prevention and control at the ministry, said other infectious agents could be driving the wave.  

“From our surveillance system, there is no indication of increased cases of Covid-19,” Dr Tusiime said, adding: “Many other viral infections can have symptoms mimicking those of Covid-19.”.He didn’t give figures to support his position.
Dr Allan Muruta, the commissioner for public health emergencies at the ministry, on the other hand, said: “That (is the) normal flu they have always had.”
Although both commissioners didn’t give figures to support their position, Dr Henry Kyobe, an epidemiologist and the Covid-19 incident commander at the Ministry, said they would inform the country about the Covid-19 situation today. 

This comes a day after this publication published a story that some health experts had linked the wave of flu and cough to Covid-19 because some affected persons turned out positive when tested. 
On social media and in interviews with this publication, several families reported loved ones being bedridden for days or losing their voices with the onset of intense cough, flu and fever.
In a number of cases, children have failed to respond to medication previously effective against the three diseases, and some have had to be admitted to hospital and placed on oxygen machines.

Dr Tusiime on the other hand said the same prevention measures for Covid-19 such as wearing face masks and social distancing are effective against the flu and cough. 
Dr Daniel Tumwine, a paediatrician at Children’s Clinic Naalya, Kampala, told this publication two days ago that the number of children with respiratory symptoms has increased. 
He said many do have Covid-like symptoms but they don’t routinely test the children for the disease.

Dr Tumwine said some of the parents who get similar symptoms, turn out Covid-19 positive when tested. “The Covid though, is mild in adults and doesn’t usually lead to admission,” he said.
This information was reinforced by the senior clinical officer of Kisugu Health Centre, Mr John Omongo, who said some of the people with cough and flu that they tested, turned out positive for Covid-19. He said cases of flu and cough had been contributing to over 70 percent of patient visits at the facility.

Mulago Hospital also said they registered some two people with severe Covid-19 in the last two weeks, a figure which is very low when compared to over 40 critically ill Covid-19 patients who had been admitted to the hospital on October 25, 2020, alone.
The discussion about Covid-19 is also emerging four days after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared that the disease is no longer a global health emergency because of the general decline in cases of Covid-19.
The WHO, however, warned that many people with severe Covid-19 are still admitted to hospitals and so, countries should carry on with their internal mitigation measures against the disease.