The call is the kernel of a press release dated Monday, May 25, 2020. The medic who doubles as COVID-19 Pandemic Incident Manager for the North West Region says with 77 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the region, no effort should be spared in beating back the disease.

He says the strategy of systematically testing all corpses with an unclear medical history for COVID-19, which is an uncommon practice in some other regions, is gradually paying off in the North West Region.

“Out of the 77 confirmed cases so for recorded, l6 of them were corpses of persons who died either at home or shortly on arrival in the emergency units, one of them actually died at the COVID-l9 Treatment Center, while 40 of them are presently on treatment and responding very well, and 20 of them discharged from the treatment center after recovery, thanks to expert management by the medical team,” said Dr. Che Soh in a dispatch.

“The population, as well as the managers of all health facilities in the North West Region, are thus advised to immediately report any deaths which occur in the community for a COVID-19 investigation, as failure to do so might lead to contamination of many other family members and mortuary technicians, which is what we have been preventing through this strategy,” he furthered.

In his capacity as COVID-19 Pandemic Incident Manager for the North West Region, the Regional Delegate said he had just closed a capacity building workshop for Rapid Investigation Teams of all l9 Health Districts during which he called for the intensification of epidemiological surveillance in all health districts.

In the days ahead, Dr. Che Soh says the investigation of many more suspected cases and collection of samples for diagnosis will be ramped up with the possibility of recording many more confirmed cases of COVID-19 in other Health Districts apart from Bamenda, Mbengwi and Batibo Health Districts which are those currently affected.

ln order to drastically reduce the spread of COVID-l9 in the North West Region, Dr. Che Soh advises the population to:

1. Limit inter-urban travels as much as possible and scrupulously respect all hygienic measures to prevent the spread of the disease.
2. Stay at home as much as possible and obligatorily wear o FACE MASK (surgical or fabricated locally with cotton and polyester material), when leaving the house.
3. Always wash the hands with clean running water and soup or use an alcohol based solution (Hand Sanitizer)
4. Cover the nose and Mouth with a disposable tissue when coughing, sneezing or use a flexed elbow.
5. Avoid overcrowding especially in markets and travel agencies, as well as close contact with anyone presenting with cough, running nostrils, fever and difficulties in breathing.
6. Maintain a distance of at least 1.5 metres with any next person.

The medic calls on anyone presenting with cough, running nostrils, fever and difficulties in breathing to “immediately call the medical team through any of the following numbers: 1510, 233361503 or 675050653, and he or she will be attended to.”

“It is possible for the medical team to treat COVID-I9 patients with mild symptoms at home especially if certain pre-conditions are met,” says Dr. Che Soh.

“There is just no reason for anyone to die at home. So let’s all conquer fear, get tested for COVID-19 and benefit from free treatment provided by the government of Cameroon.”

As we went to press, Cameroon had registered 5,044 cases of the novel coronavirus with 171 deaths.