A WhatsApp message claiming that the corona virus has surfaced in town caused panic among residents.
The message that was distributed between various groups indicated that a man had died in a Burgersfort hospital on account of the virus.

It claims that a worker at Standard Bank allegedly said the deceased was a friend of theirs and that the “hospital” seemingly confirmed that his death was directly caused by the coronavirus.

The man was supposedly visited by the worker and her husband on Thursday. On Sunday, the man was said to be rushed to the hospital, where he supposedly succumbed to the virus. The message further indicates that the virus has since spread to Lydenburg.

ALSO READ: Engineering company to sponsor local school with sanitary towels

Steelburger/Lydenburg News, however, contacted the Mpumalanga Department of Health. It confirmed that no case has been reported. On the contrary, no case of the coronavirus has been found across the entire African continent.

The only hospital in Burgersfort is Dilokong. It also confirmed that no case had been reported. All the clinics in Burgersfort where inquiries were made also confirmed that there is not a single possible incident of the virus.

The distribution of the message has since been stopped and the public has been urged not to circulate such messages – especially concerning such a sensitive matter – until allegations have been confirmed.
In the meantime, the department also stated that the local hospital is prepared and ready to assist, evaluate and refer patients for the suspected and potential spread of the coronavirus.

Mandla Zwane, of the department, said hospitals nationwide have been preparing to screen and treat patients for the coronavirus over the past month and Lydenburg Hospital is no exception.

As a small town that has tourists from various countries, some community members had raised their concern over the readiness of the local hospital. Buses full of tourists from various countries are still making their way through town, often incorporating the local supermarkets in their pit-stops.

“An outbreak response team received training last Thursday in Ermelo. This was during provincial department training. The outbreak response team from Ehlanzeni District was also present for the training. After they had received training, they went back to their districts to train the others.

“We have also sent out circulars to all the facilities so that they can be on alert and know what to look out for when patients walk into the hospital. They will get more training, as the disease is new and there is a lot of new information coming in,” he explained.

ALSO READ: Hot new wheels to combat protests

According to Zwane, they are guided by various methods and procedures when it comes to identifying the virus.

“There is case dismissal, checking the history and where the person has been in the past 14 days. During the process of identification, knowing if a person had visited China or had been exposed to a person who has the coronavirus helps.

People coming directly from China go through Johannesburg and Cape Town airports and they are screened there.

There is a process for this and they do not simply pass through. There are port health officers that are always there.

There is also screening for people coming into the country through other ports of entry such as Lebombo.

“The incubation period is two to 14 days. If a person visited China and after 14 days shows no symptoms, the person can be confirmed as non-infectious. This is after the screening process has been done. Although, if one gets to the ports and they meet the diagnosis criteria, they are referred to the nearest hospital for further screening.”

Zwane said Rob Ferreira Hospital is the designated hospital for isolation.He confirmed that Lydenburg Hospital staff are fully trained, ready to assist and comprehensively briefed on the coronavirus.