Senegal Gets First Case of Coronavirus

Senegal Gets First Case of Coronavirus

Senegal has become the fourth African country to be affected by Coronavirus after a French national tested positive to the virus Monday.

Confirming this, Senegal’s Health Minister, Diouf Sarr said the French man who lives in Senegal visited France in mid-February where he contracted the virus before returning to Senegal, adding that he has been quarantined in the capital Dakar.

“The results of the tests carried out by the Pasteur Institute in Dakar came back positive.

“So far the patient’s condition has not raised any major concerns.

“The patient, a father of two who has been in Senegal for two years, stayed in the Southern French city of Nimes as well as an unspecified ski resort last month,” Sarr said.

He said the man then returned to Senegal on February 26 where he went to a medical centre and registered a fever of 39 degrees Celsius (102 Fahrenheit) as well as a sore throat and headache.

Sarr said the centre contacted the country’s coronavirus alert unit and the patient was quarantined, the minister said.

“The surveillance and response system for COVID-19 has been bolstered and all measures are being taken to contain the disease,” Sarr said.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) had warned Sunday that the outbreak could reach all countries. So far, it has affected 72 countries.

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