Dr. Nyambura Moremi, the Director and Quality Manager of Tanzania’s National Health Laboratory, has been suspended pending investigations.
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The suspension comes a day after President John Magufuli questioned the credibility of coronavirus testing kits being used at the lab. “Kufuatia hotuba ya Mhe. Dkt. John Pombe Magufuli Rais wa Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania ya tarehe 3 Mei wakati akimwapisha Waziri wa Katibu na Sheria ambapo pia alibainisha changamoto za utendaji wa Maabara ya Taifa ya Afya ya Jamii, Waziri wa Afya, Maendeleo ya Jamii, Jinsia, Wazee na Watoto. Mhe. Ummy Mwalimu (Mb.) amechukua hatua zifuatazo:
“Amemwelekeza Katibu Mkuu (Afya) kuwasimamisha kazi mara moja Mkurugenzi wa Maabara ya Taifa ya Afya ya Jamii Dkt. Nyambura Moremi na Bw. Jacob Lusekelo Meneja Udhibiti wa Ubora ili kupisha uchunguzi,” a Press statement from the Health Ministry reads.
A team of experienced researchers has also been set up to investigate how the lab collects and tests COVID-19 samples.
Prof. Eligius Lyamula from Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences will lead the team of nine researchers.
Pombe Magufuli who seems to think maneno ya Coronavirus is a Conspiracy needs to read the figures from Italy:
About 4.5 million Italians are returning to work Monday as Italy — one of the countries hardest hit by COVID-19 — begins lifting some restrictions meant to stop the spread of the disease. Italy has lost nearly 29,000 people because of the coronavirus, second only to the United States, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. More than 210,000 people in the country have been infected. Italy was one of the first countries to be racked by the disease. The government imposed strict lockdown policies on March 9, earlier than many countries started responding, as NPR’s Sylvia Poggioli reported from Rome.
The construction sector, wholesale and certain manufacturing companies started welcoming workers back to work Monday, as Poggioli reported.
Many other aspects of Italian life will inch closer to normal. Restaurants are able to reopen, though they can prepare meals for takeout only. Parks can reopen with social distancing measures, and people can move beyond 200 yards from their home, among other activities.
We raised the issue on false positive tests a while ago. Magufuli has raised an important issue that we would have been expecting many scientist including those in CDC, WHO to advise on. TZ etc can repeat more tests with pawpaws/goats and we might probably congratulate him(Magu…) or praise his actions. However, it is too early to draw statistical inference as to what course the Covid-19 cases will take in TZ! As for those Countries “returning to work” there is no assurance that the cycle won’t repeat itself! We still have Covid-19 cases in their population, and we have no cure or vaccine yet! So, infection rates might depend on the veracity of their social/physical distancing; as practiced , and not as said!
There are other corona viruses that affect animals without necessarily causing the same severe pneumonia as Covid 19. It is possible that such virus types/strains are already prevalent in tropical Africa. The possibility of false positives from such antigens cannot be ruled out. What also cannot be ruled out is the endemic presence, in tropical environments, of other non corona viruses that might elicit false positive antibody responses that mimic Covid-19.
Magufuli is justified in raising the issue. We may be placing way more people in quarantine upon their testing positive than we need to.
On why there are significantly more case fatalities in northern environs, it is quite possible that the types/strains of Covid 19 that evolved in those parts of the world are more virulent than tropical strains, for any number of reasons. We cannot always assume that the opinion of an otherwise rational African leader such as President Magufuli is tainted, while the opinions of pedestrian jungus such as Boris wa Randani, Msito wa Mulika; or opinions of chokoras such as Mutaliano wa Mafi are more valuable.
The goat can get corona. The paw paw I don’t think so.
But the issue of faulty equipment from China has been talked about for weeks now.
Magufuli did not ‘discover’ anything. He was just more dramatic in breaking the news.
Magufuli has a point. The fight against covid-19 has been blown out of proportion in Africa and it is being used to suppress the economies of poor African countries. We can’t afford to lock down or stop economic activities like developed western countries. Even feeding the poor citizens is an unachievable task in Africa.
John Hopkins models aren’t accurate,the models are exaggerated and so can’t be used to draw any corona conclusions.Hydrochloroquine and Azythromycin cure Corona Virus.