SA returnee suspected of having COVID-19 dies in Karonga

Barely three days after the arrival of over 400 Malawians from South Africa, one of them, a 42 year old man has died few hours after arriving at his home village in Karonga.

Confirming the incident in an interview, Karonga Director of Health and Social Services (DHSS), David Sibale said the person was brought to the hospital already dead and the hospital officials are suspecting him to have been suffering from Coronavirus.

“The deceased has been living in South Africa and he arrived in Karonga on Thursday afternoon. The man was complaining of fever and general body pains. We are yet to establish if he had Coronavirus. We are just waiting specimen test results from our laboratory in Chilumba,” said Sibale.

However, Sibale said considering that the deceased had just arrived from a high risk Covid-19 country, the body has been handled following Covid-19 safety precautions and supervised by health officials for safe burial.

“Let me advise the general public, especially here in Karonga, let us report to the hospital those who had recently travelled to Covid-19 hot spot countries such as South Africa and Tanzania and is complaining of general body pains.

“Failure to report such cases will worsen the situation in the district and the country at large and put many lives of innocent people in danger,” he said.

Meanwhile, National Initiative for Civic Education (Trust) District Civic Education Officer for Karonga, Christobel Munthali said there is need to set up a team that should work hand in hand with traditional leaders in tracing those who have just arrived from South Africa so that they get tested.

The deceased hailed from Simfukwe Village in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Kyungu in Karonga.