South African teacher Sizwe Sibiya is anxiously awaiting repatriation from Wuhan, epicentre of China’s deadly coronavirus outbreak, and has barely left his flat for almost two months.

The South African government promised to fly home 184, from an initial figure of 151, of its nationals – mostly students and teachers – who are residing in the city. But no date has been set for their return.

“The suspense is killing us right now,” Sibiya said. “Everybody is talking about packing and just being ready for the call.”

Sibiya, 40, his wife and their 5-year-old daughter have been confined to their apartment in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, for more than 50 days.

“It has been a very, very taxing exercise, both physically and mentally,” said Sibiya, who spoke to AFP via video chat.

“You end up missing just the basic things like seeing people, hearing people make noise.”

Sibiya moved to Wuhan in 2016 with his wife and daughter, who was aged one at the time.

The number of coronavirus cases has risen worldwide to more than 110 000, with more than 3 800 dead across 100 nations and territories since it emerged in December.

South Africa confirmed its first case last week, and now a total of seven people have tested positive.

“You watch the news and you can see the number of people who are infected going up,” said Sibiya, who has grown increasingly concerned about his safety.

South Africa’s first Covid-19 patient is well enough to go home but needs the official all-clear, said Health Minister Zweli Mkhize at a meeting to assuage residents in KwaZulu-Natal where the virus was first detected.

Mkhize said he spoke to the man on Sunday, adding that the nurse treating him said he had recovered and was only waiting for the official all-clear to go home.

“I called the gent: ‘Ey sir, how are you?’ he said. The man replied: “Ey, I’m OK … I’m better now’,” he added.

Mkhize said, according to the man, the first inkling that something was up was when the police started closing restaurants and imposed a curfew in the Italian resort town where he and his wife were on a skiing trip.

Mkhize sees Covid-19 as becoming part of the common cluster of viruses, such as the rotavirus, but because it has jumped from animals to humans and immunity is still being built up, people are scared.

None of the South African students, teachers or traders in China have tested positive, and some who originally wanted to return to South Africa have opted to stay in China as they realise it has hit other countries as well.

Mkhize said there were now more new cases outside China because it had reduced the spread.

The virus has infected 107 000 people worldwide

He reminded people who “slash and dash” when going to the loo quickly to also wash their hands.

“You see many people.” he said, breaking into a jaunty whistle and adding some levity. “They walk out there, whistling way, they didn’t wash their hands.”

The department of health has increased available hospital beds in KwaZulu-Natal in case more people test positive and require hospital treatment.

Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu said extra beds were being set aside in case there were more cases.

Mkhize said it was just a matter of time before another infection was detected in South Africa.

“All the countries will have this virus as part of their daily lives,” he added.

Speaking to Rapport, Dr Robyn Reed, a general practitioner from Hilton in KwaZulu-Natal, said she and the nurse who assisted her are spending two weeks in self-isolation.

“But I feel absolutely fine and my nurse and I are not ill. I am doing some gardening and find all the fuss quite irritating,” Reed told Rapport.

Reed, who examined the first coronavirus-positive South African, on Friday

Isolation vs quarantine

The Department of Health explained the difference between isolation and quarantine.

“Isolation and quarantine are public health practices used to stop or limit the spread of disease.

“Isolation is used to separate ill persons who have a communicable disease from those who are healthy. Isolation restricts the movement of ill persons to help stop the spread of certain diseases. For example, hospitals use isolation for patients with infectious tuberculosis.

“Quarantine is used to separate and restrict the movement of well persons who may have been exposed to a communicable disease to see if they become ill. These people may have been exposed to a disease and do not know it, or they may have the disease but do not show symptoms. Quarantine can also help limit the spread of communicable disease.

“Isolation and quarantine are used to protect the public by preventing exposure to infected persons or to persons who may be infected.”

COVID-19) on Sunday, the revenue receiver says wants to “reassure” taxpayers that it’s on top of things as far as controlling imports is concerned and that its customs and excise operations will continue as normal.

The confirmation of business as usual at all the country’s ports of entry will likley alleviate pressure on the economy that has already been included among those expected to perform poorly as a result of the virus. South Africa is among the G20 countries that ratings agency, Moody’s cut their growth forecasts on Friday. The agency lowered

Some of the businesses in the country have started feeling the impact of the pandemic as they are not able to source some of the products they import from China and other parts of the world. Massmart’s Builders Warehouse is among the retailers that have notification boards displayed in some of its stores, explaining that the virus has resulted in shortage of some merchandise.

SARS says its customs officials will also be supported by health officials who will screen travelers entering South Africa. (Jaco Marais)

 

n the wake of growing panic after three confirmed cases of the coronavirus (Covid-19) in South Africa, some residents in the quaint, affluent town of Hilton, KwaZulu-Natal, have told City Press they are “scared” and “terrified for my children”.

First responders from around the province have also questioned the state of readiness of their own training and facilities.

But others in the medical profession, including health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize, have said the frenzy over potential infection was unwarranted, and had been spurred on by a sometimes irresponsible media, fake news, and social media.

The 38-year-old KwaZulu-Natal man, who was the first person in the country to have the coronavirus, works in Hilton and visited Hilton-based general practitioner Dr Robyn Reed this week after experiencing flu-like symptoms upon returning from an Italian holiday with his wife.

Italy is a known hotspot for the virus, with the latest recorded cases standing at 4600 and the death toll sitting at 197.

The KwaZulu-Natal man is currently being isolated at Pietermaritzburg’s Grey’s Hospital.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) teams landed in the province on Thursday night to start contact tracing.

Dr Reed and others at the practice have been self-quarantining, as have the patient’s wife and two small children, who Mkhize announced on Friday were asymptomatic.

However, the wife was on Sunday morning confirmed to have the virus.

The children’s school was closed as a precautionary measure, and it is not yet clear when it will reopen.