Malaria patient tests positive for Covid-19

Harare, (New Ziana) – A patient who was being treated for malaria and was on the verge of being discharged after responding well to treatment tested positive for Covid-19, Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals (PGH)said on Tuesday.

The referral hospital said it was discovered that the patient, who had been admitted on April 24, was positive for coronavirus after frontline staff and admitted patients were tested for Covid-19.

“The patient had responded well to the malaria treatment and was due for discharge,” the hospital said in a statement.

Following the discovery, the patient has been isolated pending discharge and recovery at home.

Details on how the patient was infected are still unknown.

Zimbabwe is currently in its peak malaria transmission season. The two diseases, malaria and Covid-19 both have fever as one of their main symptoms.

While PGH did not say how many of its staff had come into contact with the patient, the hospital said “exposed staff will be counselled, tested and managed accordingly.”

The room in which the patient was admitted will also be decontaminated.
PGH is yet to operationalise its Covid-19 treatment centre which it said “is almost complete.”

“As such the hospital will soon be able to admit Covid-19 patients,” PGH said.

As at April 20 this year, the country had recorded 170 303 malaria cases and 152 deaths, up from 117 715 and 127 deaths during the same period in 2019.

As at April 27, Zimbabwe had recorded 32 Covid-19 cases and four deaths.
New Ziana