Screening of travellers, especially those arriving from destinations in Asia, has been intensified at South African ports of entry following the outbreak the deadly coronavirus in China.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

The first cases of infection were picked up in early January 2020 in Wuhan, China and since then more than 80 people have died. Cases have since been reported in the US, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

In a statement released by the National Department of Health on 23 January, measures have been put in place that will “detect, manage and contain any cases” of the virus.

A set of clinical guidelines and case definitions have been developed and distributed to doctors and nurses in both the public and private sectors. These include information on how to diagnose and respond to a possible 2019-nCoV case. In addition, provinces have activated outbreak response teams and are on high alert to detect and manage inadvertent cases that may arrive in the country, the department statement reads. 

“The guidelines include guidance on what samples to collect to confirm the diagnosis, how to best manage the case clinically and how to prevent spread to others while the diagnosis is being made,” senior communications manager at the NICD, Sinenhlanhla Jimoh, said.

At ports of entry, health professionals have enhanced temperature screening for all international travellers from China. In South Africa, OR Tambo and Cape Town International Airports are the only ports of entry with direct flights from Asia.

Tlali Tlali, South African Airways (SAA) spokesperson, told Daily Maverick that flights are still coming in from Asia but said they were prepared to deal with any passengers returning to the country who may have contracted the virus. 

“They (Thermal scanners) are functional, and should be able to detect suspected cases as patients will show symptoms of fever of 38 degrees and more,” Tlali said. 

If an alert is raised, several other steps will kick in to determine the passenger’s condition. This includes providing authorities with a detailed travel history and a medical examination at the airport’s health facility.

Tlali said passengers with potential infection of the virus will be placed in an quarantine room before they are sent to a designated hospital.

Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) tweeted that it was in contact with global health authorities regarding the risk that the virus could pose.

The virus was identified after the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the People’s Republic of China was alerted to several cases of pneumonia in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China on 31 December 2019. 

The virus did not match any other known viruses and on 7 January, Chinese authorities confirmed that they had identified a new coronavirus which is related to other viruses like the common cold and more severe viruses such as Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and (Middle East respiratory syndrome) MERS. 

In China, 80 people have died from the coronavirus with almost 3,000 more confirmed ill worldwide. The New York Times reported that 76 of the 80 fatalities were in the central province of Hubei. DM