Ministry of Health launches study into effects of Covid-19

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What you need to know:

  • Research on 300 coronavirus survivors will be carried out in collaboration with researchers at the University of Nairobi.
  • The university will work with researchers and physicians from Kenyatta National Hospital, Mbagathi Hospital and Coast General Hospital.

The Health ministry has launched a study to understand the long-term health effects of Covid-19, even as cases rose by 497 yesterday to stand at 27,425.

The research on 300 coronavirus survivors will be carried out in collaboration with researchers at the University of Nairobi.

“It will involve thorough medical check-up of the patients through blood tests, X-rays, echocardiograms (heart images), and physical examinations,” Prof Omu Anzala, one of the lead researchers, told the Nation Tuesday.

The university will work with researchers and physicians from Kenyatta National Hospital, Mbagathi Hospital and Coast General Hospital to determine the long-term effects of the virus on human body.

Chronic problems

The study comes after data from hospitals in the UK, US and Europe show that survivors experience chronic problems weeks or months after recovery.

They include damage to the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, exhaustion and difficulty in thinking.

News of the study came as Health CS Mutahi Kagwe appealed to counties to seek partnerships with private hospitals in ramping up critical care as the cases continue to rise.

Nairobi, with more than half of Covid-19 cases (16,196), has 1,104 isolation beds and 76 ICU beds. The other hotspot counties are Kiambu (1,964), Kajiado (1,514) and Machakos (971). From the 4,171 samples tested yesterday, Nairobi (239) still had the majority of infections followed by Kiambu (45), Kajiado (26), Mombasa (19), Machakos (19) and Laikipia (18). Another 15 people died raising the number of fatalities to 438, while another 372 were discharged from hospital and home-based care.