Govt Addresses Widespread Flu & Lockdown

Over the last couple of days, Kenyans have taken to social media to lament about a flu that has been going around.

They complained that the flu was associated with fever, headache, tonsillitis, blocked nose and chest.

The government, through Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, has since addressed the matter, urging Kenyans not to go into panic mode.

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe

Speaking during a press briefing on Wednesday, December 15 in Mombasa County, Kagwe stated that experts were digging deeper to know how to treat the situation.

"Kenyans should not be concerned yet...We must observe the civility of the flu, the hospitalisation and whether there are fatalities. So far, the statistics that we have should not cause any panic," the CS stated.

Heath expert Prof Lukoye Atwoli urged Kenyans to exercise caution and follow Covid-19 protocols issued by the government.

He argued that the flu had similar clinical features to Covid-19.

"Yes, it could be a seasonal flu. Just remember that SARS-COV-2 enters your system in exactly the same way as that bug. So your risk of getting Covid-19 is high if you get the bug," Atwoli warned.

"If you protect yourself adequately from COVID-19 you’ll probably be safe from the circulating respiratory bug as well!" he added.

Kagwe also confirmed three Omicron variant cases in the Country.

He stated that the variant had been detected in three passengers who have since been quarantined. 

"We have detected the Omicron virus among the Travellers and it will be dominant across the globe. 

"We are carrying out sequencing to see it's spread. We expect it to become the dominant variant globally.  We should all get vaccinated.  Those vaccinated are not getting severe sickness," the CS stated.

Kagwe, however, stated that the government would not lock down the country or return the curfew yet.

"Our experts are still debating the issue, observing and sequencing in our labs to see what kind of variant we have. Variants will come and go," he added.

Dr Lukoye Atwoli addresses a gathering at a conference in 2019 in Nairobi

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