Health CS Mutahi Kagwe (3rd left) with Brian Orinda (2nd left) and Brenda Cherotich (3rd right) who recovered from COVID-19. Also in the picture are Health CS Susan Mochache (2nd right) Dr. Loice Achieng, UoN lecturer and Head of Infectious Disease Unit at KNH and Dr. Evanson Kamuri (far right), CEO KNH.(
The University greatly appreciates the efforts by staff and students from the College of Health Sciences for their continued dedicated service to help end the COVID-19 pandemic.
Their efforts can not go unnoticed following the Ministry of Health announcement about the recovery of two patients who had contracted the disease.
The two, Ivy Brenda Cherotich and Brian Orinda had been quarantined for 23 days at Mbagathi Hospital.
Dr. Loice Achieng, a senior lecturer in the Department of Clinical Medicine and Therapeutics at the University of Nairobi is among the healthworkers who are at the forefront in the fight against the pandemic.
She also heads the Infectious Disease Unit at Kenyatta National Hospital.
Dr. Achieng says Ivy Brenda and Brian were declared to have fully recovered from the disease after two consecutive tests carried on them were negative.
"We take a sample for the lab, first time its negative after 24 hours we take another sample and if that is also negative then we can declare that someone is negative," says Dr. Achieng.
Stigmatization
Dr. Achieng advocates for support to patients who have contracted the disease saying stigmatization will not help fight the disease.
"Don't stigmatize people because this is a disease that can strike anyone, it is not a respector of age, race or social status. We are all at risk and there is need to support those who have contracted the disease and avoid stigma," the medic says.
She adds that if one is sick he/she should be encouraged to call to get directions to the right place and if patients get better they should be allowed to integrate with their families and keep on supporting them and say no to stigma at all costs.
Increasing cases of COVID-19 in Kenya
Dr. Achieng says its dissapointing to see the number of people who have contracted the disease increase day by day.
"We hope for the best but we keep planning for the worst, but most importantly is to take precautionery measures to avoid the worst," says the doctor.
Flattening the coronavirus curve
Flattening the curve means reducing the pick of cases making it lower and according to Dr. Achieng' it is possible.
The curve can be flattened if we choose to stay at home thereby reducing the number of people contracting the disease, frequent hand washing, avoiding close contact with one another.
She says the above measures need to be serioulsy practiced over the next coming few weeks to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
On the other hand, Prof. Ruth Nduati, a professor of paediatrics at the University of Nairobi, School of Medicine advices the government to do more to prepare and protect healthcare workers during the fight against COVID-19.
She says the healthcare workers are putting their lives on the line and their safety should come first.
"All healthcare workers should be provided with the necessary protective gear as they handle this COVID-19 outbreak. Remember thay have families, relatives and friends and at times they go back to them, the worst could happen if they are not protected from contracting the disease,"Prof. Nduati says.
She urges the government to come up with a way of providing masks to everyone saying putting them on reduces number of droplets falling everywhere.
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