Health workers are vulnerable to the virus: CAS Mwangangi

Health CAS Mercy Mwangangi has reiterated that health workers are the most exposed people to coronavirus as they lead in the fight.

This comes as two more medical workers who have died of Covid-19 were confirmed on Saturday by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board chairperson Samuel Oroko.

This brings to three, the number of health workers who have succumbed to the virus.

The first was gynecologist Dr. Adisa Lugalika who died on Thursday of Covid-19.

The CAS said on Saturday while giving the Covid-19 updates in Kwale that doctors are exposed both in the health facilities and at the community level.

"Health workers are at risk of getting infected because they are the first people to respond in hospitals and also have families who interact with many individuals at home, increasing the vulnerability of contraction,” Mwangangi said.

Health Acting Director-General Patrick Amoth however, said the government will offer required assistance to see that the sick nurse recovers quickly.

Amoth said they are working hard to protect the health workers and to minimise the rate of infection.

"We are aware one nurse is sick but we will continuously provide PPEs, Morale and psychological support as they fight this pandemic,” he said.

The country recorded 278 new cases of the virus, raising the total number of infections to 9,726.

The new cases were picked from 1,403 samples, adding the number of tests to 20, 7987.

Kwale County has no new infection with a total of 139 positive cases from a sample size of 1,593 taken on Friday.

All the patients who had tested positive for the virus in Kwale have recovered except nine who are in home-based treatment.

The CAS added that 99 people have been discharged from various hospitals bringing the total number of recoveries to 2, 832.