The Ministry of Health (MOH) has cautioned against what they label as fearmongering regarding the alleged spread of a dangerous strain of COVID-19.
Social media has been inundated with claims of a new variant outlined in a document since December, indicating it manifests without the typical cough or fever but with symptoms such as neck pain, headache, joint pains, and pneumonia.
In an interview with URN, Dr. Daniel Kyabayinze, the Director of Public Health in the Ministry, refuted these claims, asserting that their surveillance teams have found no substantiating evidence.
While acknowledging ongoing cases of the viral respiratory disease, Dr. Kyabayinze stressed that there has been no notable increase in hospitalizations or deaths in Uganda.
He clarified that the two new variants, including JN.1, associated with a surge in cases elsewhere, have not been identified in Uganda.
Dr. Kyabayinze urged individuals experiencing suspicious symptoms to undergo testing to rule out the possibility of either regular seasonal flu or COVID-19. Expressing concern over dwindling numbers of people seeking testing and vaccination, he stated:
In the interest of safety, the Health Ministry advised people to consider booster doses. However, uptake has been low, leading to the expiration of over five million doses valued at approximately 28 billion shillings, as per the recent Auditor General’s report. National Medical Stores (NMS) urgently called for the utilization of vaccines in their inventory.
During an appearance before the parliamentary health committee, Moses Kamabare, the NMS Boss, highlighted that the demand for these drugs by districts is nearly non-existent, expressing concern that they might expire without increased efforts to promote uptake. Nevertheless, Dr. Kyabayinze clarified that the ministry currently has no plans for a new campaign to encourage booster shots.