By Winnie Mabel/NM
Speaking during the State of The Nation address on June 7, 2023 at the Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, Uganda President Yoweri Museveni said he had been feeling unwell and this forced him to be separated from his wife, First Lady Janet Museveni.
“This morning, I was feeling as if I had a cold. I took a rapid Coronavirus test which indicated negative. I did two more tests with deeper analysis. One of them turned out positive, the other was negative. So, I am a suspect of corona as I speak. That’s why I came in a separate car with Mama Janet Museveni,” said President Museveni according to the Monitor.
Corona virus is an infectious disease that affects the respiratory system either mildly or seriously and sometimes resulting in death in people with underlying health conditions. It is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It spreads when an infected person comes into close contact with a healthy person. The virus can spread from an infected person’s mouth or nose in small liquid particles when they cough, sneeze, sing or breath.
The virus can also spread in poorly ventilated or crowded indoor settings. According to the World Health Organization, aerosols can remain suspended in the air or travel further than conversational distance. People can also be infected if they touch surfaces or objects contaminated with the virus and then touch their eyes, nose or mouth.
In preventing the spread of coronavirus, WHO recommends people to get vaccinated as soon as it is one’s turn and follow local guidance on vaccination schedules. Additionally, people are advised to maintain social distancing of at least 1 meter from others, wear a properly fitted mask when its not possible to be in a properly ventilated place, frequently wash your hands with soap and running water, cover one’s mouth with the elbow when sneezing and coughing or into tissues and immediately dispose of them.
In Uganda, between January 3, 2020 and May 31, 2023, 170,775 cases of covid-19 were confirmed and 3,632 deaths reported. As o March 25, 2023, 26,,406,936 covid vaccines were administered to Ugandans.
President Museveni contracting the virus came as a surprise to many considering how he has always been careful of how he interacts with everyone. In several national and international meetings and events, the outspoken President is always spotted in a mask, often holds his State House meetings out in the garden and never greets his guests, including fellow presidents, with handshakes.
His breaking of WHO recommended guidelines of going into quarantine once diagnosed with the virus also caught people off guard while many others wished him a quick recovery.
WHO’s data as of May 31, 2023, stands at 767,364,883 confirmed cases, 6,938,353 deaths and 13,381,562,028 administered vaccines as of June 1, 2023.
