The Health Ministry has said the wave of flu and cough being reported across the country is caused by the influenza virus.
This comes about four days after officials at the Ministry said they were finalising their assessment to determine whether the wave was linked to Covid-19 as some health workers said earlier.
In a press statement on Friday, the Ministry ruled out Covid-19, saying there is no evidence of a Coronavirus resurgence in the country. The Ministry, however, didn’t give figures to support their position.
“The Ministry of Health would like to inform the general public of a wave of viral influenza (flu) illness circulating within the population. This illness is characterized by a runny nose, headache, intermittent fevers, dry cough, and general body weakness,” reads a statement undersigned by Dr Henry Mwebesa, the Director General of Health Services at the Ministry.
The Ministry said in the statement that the commonly affected groups are children under five years, school-going children, and the elderly.
“About 2 percent of individuals who get viral influenza may get severe respiratory disease. However, there is no record of any consistent increase in hospitalization,” the statement reads further.
People who have the above symptoms should practice hand hygiene, avoid public gatherings or wear masks and avoid hugging and shaking hands to minimise spread, government directed on May 12.
However, the Ministry also asked those with symptoms to go for Covid-19 and malaria tests since the reported infections manifest with the same symptoms.
Health workers in Mulago Hospital, Kisugu Health Center, and Children’s Clinic Naalya, recently said they are registering people with Covid-19 after they showed coronavirus-like symptoms. But the Ministry, without ignoring that Covid-19 is still in the country, said there is no increase in Covid-19 infection in the country.
“Individuals who are due for their Covid-19 booster dose are encouraged to do so,” the Ministry said in the statement.
Last week, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared that Covid-19 is no longer a global health emergency because of a general decline in infections and deaths. But the global health agency warned that countries should continue with their internal mitigation measures because many people are still getting infected and dying from the virus.
