Kwekwe COVID-19 Outbreak Preliminary Report {Full Text}

Mr Kadenhe, his wife (Mary Kadenhe) and nephew (Nataly Kadenhe, 21/F) who returned from India on 29th April were antigen (Ag) tested on 9 May 2021 at their plot by Dr Tavashure.

Mr Kadenhe and his wife tested positive and Nataly tested negative. Mr Kadenhe died on 12 May 2021.

Background

• Mr Kadenhe fell sick on 8 May 2021 and exhibited symptoms such as fever, chills, dry cough and diarrhoea.
• Mr Kadenhe was a known hypertensive on treatment and had high RBS levels above 33 at the time that he was first seen by his doctor on the 9th of May though he was not a known diabetic
• His condition is reported to have deteriorated on the 12th of May and as arrangements were being made to send him for ICU care he died in an ambulance on arrival at Kwekwe hospital
• Mary Kadenhe was asymptomatic. Mr Kadenhe, his wife (Mary Kadenhe) and nephew (Nataly Kadenhe, 21/F) who returned from India on 29 April were antigen (Ag) tested on 9 May 2021 at their plot by Dr Tavashure.
• Mr Kadenhe and his wife tested positive and Nataly tested negative. Mr Kadenhe died on 12 May 2021. Also Zvichauya Midzi (35/F) of 7 Techoma Street in Msasa, an EHT at kwekwe City Health, who had contact with both Mr Kadenhe and Nataly while they were processing their business license tested Ag positive on 12 May 2021 at Cimas Laboratory.
• A total of 9 contacts of the three cases were tested on 13 May at Al Davis Clinic and 6 tested positive.

Contact tracing

• Contact tracing for the index cases was carried out on 13 May 2021.
• 4 contacts of the Kadenhes who stay at the plot and had no symptoms were Ag tested at Al Davis Clinic and one (20/M) tested positive.
• Also, follow up to Zvichauya Midzi was done on 13 May 2021 and a total of 5 contacts exhibiting symptoms such as cough and fever were tested and all tested positive.
• Five (5) contacts of Midzi who include 3 minors aged between 4 and 12 enrolled at Goldridge Primary School tested positive.
• Four teachers from the school were tested at Al Davis Clinic and they all tested negative. Body handling and funeral
• Mr Robson Kadenhe’s body is currently being kept since the 12th of May 2012 at Nyaradzo Funeral Services in Redcliff and they were notified of the cause of his death.
• The relatives of the deceased were advised to bury the body within the possibly shortest period of 48 hours but they said they intend to bury him on Saturday at Kwekwe Central Cemetery and are waiting for his children who are outside the country.
• Redcliff Municipality Health Department has been asked to liaise with the funeral parlour to expedite his burial.
• The family was also asked to ensure that there is zero attendance at the funeral wake of the deceased and the District Development Coordinator has been asked to mobilise the assistance of ZRP to prevent people from gathering at the homestead and this had been effected.

Health Education and disinfection

• Both families were health educated on the disease picture, personal and environmental hygiene and the need to strictly observe all covid prevention measures.
• Fumigation with hydrogen peroxide was done at the Kadenhe homestead
• Home isolation
• Both homesteads are suitable for effective home isolation with ZRP enforcing at the Kadenhe homestead

Recommendations

1. Community mobilisation and health education needs to be stepped up
2. Public gatherings must be restricted in the city
3. All returnees and foreigners need to be tested for Covid-19 and quarantined.