Kenyans have been urged to be vigilant as the government continues with genome sequencing in an effort to contain the new Covid-19 variants in the country.
The Health ministry has confirmed that the dominant variant in the country is the British variant, also known as the B.1.1.7.
The UK and the South African Variant have been circulating in the country since January with samples taken for sequencing from Nairobi and neighbouring counties showing those found with the variant had no history of travel.
Though not as lethal as the original variant, it is highly contagious and transmissible.
On Wednesday last week, Kenya confirmed five cases of the highly double mutant India coronavirus variant from travellers.
“We are urging all of us having known that the variant is here with us, to keep that vigilance higher as we continue sequencing and continue our surveillance efforts and make sure we don’t get these variants circulating in the communities,” Director of Public Health at the Health Ministry Dr Francis Kuria said.
The Indian B.1.617 was picked by from five travellers of Indian origin who arrived in the country more than a week ago.
The five are working on a fertiliser plant in Kisumu’s Kibos area and have been isolated.
The medic has revealed that eight more people tested positive for the variant from more than 50 people who had been isolated after turning negative in the first tests.
“When the institution management realised that there were so many positives, they isolated the positives and continued to identify more possible among those that had turned negative,” he said.
He added: “Indeed among those who had turned negative, about 50 of them, another eight turned positive again. The county surveillance teams are doing a good job and for those that we are continuing to identify, we will do genome sequencing so we can try and curtail transmission of the variant within the community in Kisumu.”
The B.1.617 variant has been blamed for India’s second wave of infections that has seen the country’s cases surge to more than 20 million.
The variant which has been picked in a couple of countries including Uganda, has been classified by the World Health Organisation as a variant of interest.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has warned India’s intense outbreak was a reminder that Africa must stay vigilant.
According to Health CS Mutahi Kagwe, Covid-19 is a new way of life. The CS has termed it impossible to prevent the variants from entering the country, but instead urged Kenyans not to drop the ball at this time.
"As I said sometime at this time last year, if we treat this disease normally it can treat us abnormally. That was true then as it is true today. When we contain an area, say for example in Kisumu because they have contained the entire area, then the people must follow what they are being told and that discipline is our saving grace in the fight against the deadly Covid-19 virus,” the CS added.
The government has imposed a ban on flights between India and Kenya for 14 days as India continues to battle with the deadliest second wave.
Making the announcement, Kagwe noted that the suspension will only be for a short period of as experts accesses how the situation in India unfolds.
-Edited by SKanyara
