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Health CS Mutahi Kagwe during the 57th Jamhuri day celebrations at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]
The new Omicron variant detected in Kenya is infectious and spreads quickly compared to other variants including the deadly Delta variant, but is less lethal according to experts.
Health CS Mutahi Kagwe, who confirmed the detection of three Omicron cases, said the variant will be more dominant in the country and globally but its “effect is less among those people who are vaccinated. Unvaccinated people are likely to get sick faster, go to hospital, and will have accumulated bills. As a government, let everyone get vaccinated, and counties to revamp up measures.”
But Prof Matilu Mwau, an infectious disease specialist, said that though it was expected to spill into the country “Omicron variant is more infectious, but less lethal.”
Prof Mwau advised Kenyans to observe public health containment measures, and get vaccinated, to avert mortalities and hospitalization.
“Omicron variant is just coronavirus. It is SARS-COV-2, that we all know how to handle. We have been handling the variant for two years, and we all know what to do. Let us wash our hands with soap and water, wear facemasks and keep social distancing,” maintained the researcher, also Deputy Director, KEMRI.
Omicron variant was first detected in Botswana on November 11, 2021, and South Africa three days later and Kagwe says “the variant is here with us and it is a question of us preparing ourselves. All counties begin serious preparations. Kenyans should get vaccinated, and avoid hesitancy.
At least 13 countries in Africa have reported cases of omicron, including Rwanda, Uganda, Senegal, Zambia, Tunisia, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Ghana and Nigeria, according to Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Last week, Uganda confirmed at least seven cases of omicron among travelers from Nigeria and South Africa who displayed mild symptoms upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport on November 29, 2021, and were placed in isolation.
But Kagwe maintained that Kenyans will not be forced to undergo vaccination, but globally, vaccination is a must. For example, top board a flight, passengers are directed to have been vaccinated.
“We want to avoid getting into lockdowns, by having everyone vaccinated, we shall avoid curfews and lockdowns. We are not announcing lockdown, nor curfew hours.”
Data by the Ministry of Health reveals an increasing trend of infection, in the past week.
Yesterday, at least 331 people tested positive for the disease, out of a sample size of 2, 872.
The rate of infection for the country stood at 11.5 percent, against less than 5 percent positivity rate that was mostly experienced in the months of October, November, and early December.
The country has documented a total of 256,815 positive cases and 5, 349 deaths.
Irrespective of Kenya receiving more vaccines, rate of people turning out to get the jab has been low.
As of December 13, a total of 8, 223, 238 vaccines had been administered across the country.
Of the vaccines, 4, 947, 002 were partially vaccinated while those fully vaccinated were 3, 276, 236.
WHO Director-General Tedros noted that the omicron variant is spreading at a high rate as compared to other variants and this calls for revamping of vaccination drives as “seventy-seven countries have now reported cases of omicron. And the reality is that omicron is probably in most countries, even if it hasn’t been detected yet.”
However, he noted that there was a possibility that many other countries are yet to detect the variant.
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