Medics clear Chinese who had been quarantined over coronavirus suspicion in Kitui

The Chinese who had been isolated over suspected Coronavirus infection did not test positive, medics say.

On Tuesday, Kitui health authorities with the help of police accessed the Chinese employee of the Synohydro Corporation who returned to Kenya on Sunday.

Health chief officer Richard Muthoka said police intervened after health officers were sent away by sentries on Monday.

The employee, who works for the Chinese firm tarmacking the Kibwezi-Kitui –Mwingi Road, had been quarantined in a house at the Mutomo campsite.

Synohydro Corporation acting project manager Zeng Yuh said the worker was among a group of 14 who had gone to China on leave but that he returned alone. “We did not have 18 people coming to Kenya from China as reported,”  Zeng said.

But Muthoka said he was free of any symptoms of Coronavirus as earlier suspected.

He was subjected to tests by Kitui South subcounty medical officer Dr Paul Kibati on Tuesday.

“When observatory tests were done, the case did not have any symptoms related to the Coronavirus. He was not coughing, did not have fever as his body temperature was 35.9 degrees Celsius and thus normal. He did not have a running nose or difficulties in breathing,” Muthoka said.

Although he admitted that the isolation had caused a scare among residents on Monday, there was no cause for alarm.

He added that the man would remain in isolation and not be allowed to interact with other persons for 14 days.  “And if symptoms will not have manifested, he will be allowed to mingle with other people.”

Zeng likened claims in the media of the worker having the virus to a storm in a teacup. He said the employee was not sick and was strong and had only been quarantined as a standard precautionary measure.

“The Chinese embassy in Nairobi had directed that any person traveling from China must be put in isolation for 14 days. That is why we had to put the officer in isolation at our camp in Mutomo. Any other worker returning from China will receive the same treatment,” Zeng said.