Government Raises Alarm over High Number of Kenyans Dying of Covid-19 at Home

The government has raised alarm over the high number of Covid-19 patients dying at home.

Out of the 50 people who have been confirmed to have succumbed to the virus in Kenya, 15 died at home after falling sick and failing to visit hospitals for medication, according to the Health Ministry.

The number represents 30 percent of the total Covid-19 fatalities, with most of the home deaths being reported in Mombasa County.

Although Nairobi County accounts for 496 out of the total 1,029 nationwide Covid-19 cases , Mombasa has the highest number of death (and second in cases of infection at  361 cases). Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said Mombasa accounts for 27 of the 50 Covid-19 deaths in the country while Nairobi has 20.

Kagwe attributed the high number of deaths in Mombasa to patients who contracted the virus but opted to remain at home instead of going to designated isolation facilities. He warned Kenyans taking care of their relatives infected with Covid-19 at home that they are at high risk of contracting the bug and possibly dying.

“We have been explaining that people must not be kept at home, you must leave your house…if you die at home, what it means is that the rate of infection and the rate of mortality is going to be a lot higher than had the person been infected by somebody who is almost asymptomatic,” said Kagwe.

“So I think we should make it clear that the rising deaths in Mombasa are essentially people dying at home…and we want to urge that if a person is unwell, please take them to hospital. Because if they’re unwell and you’re the one who is looking after them, then chances are that you can yourself die.”