Concerns about a potential outbreak of the coronavirus heightened over the weekend following a significant increase in flu cases exhibiting symptoms similar to the disease, which claimed over 5,000 lives between 2020 and 2022.
Responding swiftly, several educational institutions implemented Covid-19 prevention measures, including the mandatory wearing of face masks. However, medical experts remained divided over the likelihood of a resurgence of the respiratory pandemic that devastated the world in 2020.
The management of Moi Educational Centre (MEC) group of schools, for example, urged students and staff to revisit the public health protocols implemented during the peak of the pandemic, citing advice from medical professionals. In a ‘Safely Alert’ notice regarding the Omicron JN 1 variant of Covid-19, the school principal, Augustine Musyoka, emphasized the importance of strict safety measures as a precautionary measure.
As of March 15, 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the JN.1 variant was the most prevalent Covid variant globally, accounting for 90.3% of sequences in week 9 of 2024, compared to 89.4% three weeks earlier.
Safety Protocols:
“Our school clinic is on high alert, and we have implemented necessary measures to ensure safety. We urge students, parents, and the community to adhere strictly to Covid-19 safety protocols, both at home and in public spaces, for the time being,” stated Musyoka.
He reassured that normalcy would resume once the school management deemed it safe to do so. Additionally, Musyoka advised the MEC community to seek prompt medical attention if they exhibited any suspicious symptoms.
Despite concerns raised by epidemiological experts regarding a potential resurgence of the pandemic, Dr. Shem Otoi, a Covid-19 waves modeling expert, suggested that the current surge in respiratory infections may not necessarily indicate a severe resurgence.
Dr. Sultani Matendechero, the Deputy Director-General for Health at the Ministry of Health’s Public Health and Professional Standards department, downplayed fears, citing surveillance data indicating a decline in Covid-19 infections. However, he urged Kenyans to get vaccinated, emphasizing the importance of booster shots.
Dr. Kanyenje Gakombe, the Chairman of the Kenya Healthcare Federation (KHF), expressed skepticism regarding reports of a Covid-19 outbreak, highlighting the lack of empirical evidence supporting such claims. He suggested that heightened awareness of flu symptoms might be contributing to the perception of an outbreak.
