Queries over decline in Covid recoveries

Uganda has registered a decline in the number of Covid-19 recoveries registered per day, according to the Ministry of Health data.

In mid-July Uganda was registering more than 1000 Covid-19 recoveries per day. However, this month, the number has dropped from 900 to about 700 recoveries per day.

Dr Mukuzi Muhereza, the general secretary of Uganda Medical Association (UMA), said this could be as result of a few patients in health facilities.

However, he said it needs to be investigated further. 

Ministry of Health data recorded between August 4 and August 7 indicates that Uganda registered 80 Covid-19 deaths in seven days. This brings the cumulative deaths to 2,832 and cases to 96,224.

The ministry data in the last seven days also indicates that 1,320 cases have been registered out of the 24,138 samples tested.

Dr Charles Olaro, the director of curative services at the Ministry of Health, said it was early to make a conclusion on whether the cases have reduced or increased after easing of the lockdown, and that further analysis has to be done.

“You cannot make conclusion in one week; you have to look at a period of three weeks if those figures will be constant for the next three weeks,” he said yesterday.

“The effect of reopening up, you have to look at analysis of three weeks to tell whether the numbers have increased or not. If few people are getting infected few will be hospitalised and severe,” Dr Olaro added.

Experts and government health authorities say if the public does not observe standard operating procedures (SOPs) the cases might go high again, taking the country into another wave.

However, a section of people continue to flout the Covid-19 directives issued by President Museveni on July 30 when he eased the 42-day lock down.

Uganda has registered a cumulative 96,224 Covid-19 cases with 93,260 recoveries and 2,832 deaths. Globally, more than 205,705,714 Covid-19 cases have been registered, with 4,341,226 deaths and 184,689,691 recoveries.

According to the Ministry of Health, everyone must be involved in the fight to eliminate the virus.

“The response is multi-sectoral issue. One of the issues is to get people vaccinated but the challenge is global shortage of vaccines. But even after vaccination, one has to continue observing SOPs,” Dr Olaro said yesterday.

Date                     Cases    Recoveries     Death
4 August 2021    322            807              19
5 August 2021    248            869              14
6 August 2021    249            907               8
7 August 2021    152            816              15
8 August 2021    80              803               4
9 August 2021    112            802               9
10 August            157           701               11