Eldoret's first patient had no symptoms during her quarantine

The Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital has confirmed that the first case of Covid-19 in Eldoret is a patient now under the care of the hospital.

The hospital said that the patient had been asymptomatic during her 14-day quarantine period.

CEO of the hospital Wilson Aruasa says the female patient had been evaluated at MTRH Isolation Unit on Monday, April 6, 2020, and samples sent to Nairobi for testing.

He said the patient is the first positive test result out of the over 105,000 persons screened at MTRH to date.

Tests for the patient were done at KEMRI Labs and Aruasa says the results have been duly shared with the patient and family.

On Wednesday, Health CAS Mercy Mwangangi announced that Kenya had confirmed seven new cases bringing the total to 172 since the first on March 13.

She noted that all seven are Kenyans with five being from Nairobi, one from Mombasa and one from Uasin Gishu.

Aruasa said the patient is a middle-aged lady who had been in the UK for two weeks, travelled through JKIA to Eldoret International Airport on March 22, 2020.

"She had been asymptomatic throughout her 14-day quarantine at the place in Eldoret where she has been staying alone with a house-help. She has had minimal contacts with anyone else," Aruasa.

He said any other possible contacts are being traced accordingly by MTR and Uasin Gishu County Disease Surveillance Team.

Aruasa says the patient remains stable under MTRH care.

"The MTRH Care team are evaluating her and will put her on appropriate management as per the Ministry of Health/ WHO/ MTRH COVID-19 Management Protocols," said Dr Aruasa.

Aruasa said MTRH staff always use appropriate PPEs when handling all patients under investigation( PUI) for COVID-19.