By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay
In the last couple of weeks Sierra Leone has recorded a remarkable recovery rate of COVID-19 patients, with more than half of the cumulative total number of confirmed cases having now recovered and left the treatment or isolation centres.
As at today – Monday 1 June – official figures from the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) show that out of the cumulative total number of 865 confirmed cases, 475 have recovered from the disease and no longer had the virus.
The recovery figure represents 55% of total number of those who have been infected and shines a ray of light on a difficult period in the fight against the global pandemic with the country recording at least one death almost daily. At the weekend the death toll was 46.
The recovery numbers increased sharply on Thursday and Friday last week when 89 people were discharged from isolation centres, and dozens more recovered on over the weekend and dozens more on Monday.
There have been concerns however over the death toll which stands at 5.3 %, one of the highest in the region.
However the Ag Pillar Lead for case management at the EOC, Lt Col Dr Steven Sivalie, said: “deaths occur mainly in elderly patients who present late to health facilities and have other disease conditions”. He said the average age for the dead was 60 years.
On why the high number of recoveries, Dr Sivalie said this was because the “average age of all patients is 35 years [and the] average age of recovered patients is 34 years”.
Sivalie said 70% of the deaths in the country are male, which is consistent with international report.
The Technical Lead of the EOC, Prof Foday Sahr, says “about 80% of our cases are mild or asymptomatic” so are easy and quick to recover.
The weekend marked exactly two months since Sierra Leone announced its index case of COVID-19.
15 of the country’s 16 administrative districts have recorded cases of the virus, with Karene being the only exception.
As part of strengthening its response to break the transmission chain of the virus, the government is set to enforce its face mask policy starting today when it becomes compulsory to cover the nose and mouth in public places. An inter-district restriction on movement and a 9PM to 6AM curfew are already in force, as well as a ban on large gatherings of more than 100 people. Worship in churches and mosques are also banned.
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