Demographic trend worries experts as infections rise 17pc

 Kenya’s Covid-19 infection rate is inching towards 17 per cent, the highest in the country since the first case was reported in March.

Another 21 people died of Covid-19 yesterday,  bringing the number of deaths to 1, 093, amid 1,109 new infections. This saw the daily infection percentage drop to 15.5 per cent compared with Thursday’s 16.7 per cent.

 Siaya, Kiambu, Kakamega, Kericho and Nyandarua counties have emerged as hotspots, according to the Ministry of Health. Uasin Gishu recorded 111 new Covid-19 admissions out of the country’s 187 on Thursday, the report shows, indicating a rapid community spread in the North Rift that has stretched thin medical facilities in the neighbouring counties.

According to the report, Nairobi had the second highest admissions at 32, with only one happening at a public health facility.

Mombasa, Nakuru and Machakos had six admissions each in the 24-hour period while Bomet had five.

Overrun health systems

Speaking during the sixth extraordinary session of the National and County Government Coordination virtual summit on Wednesday, governors admitted a new wave of infections was threatening to overrun health systems.

The Council of Governors warned that their health facilities were “heading to breaking point because things are raging out of control and we are not able to transfer patients even from one county to another.

“Currently, several counties are running on full capacity in the isolation wards, ICUs and HDUs, meaning counties can no longer admit new patients.

“It is a crisis and many patients are losing the battle en route to Nairobi to seek treatment,” CoG chairman Wycliffe Oparanya said, adding that it is worse for patients who may require ventilators and supplemental oxygen support.

It also emerged 12 counties were yet to attain the minimum 300-bed capacity set by President Uhuru Kenyatta as the basic level of preparedness to deal with the pandemic, while 11 counties had less than five ICU beds in the isolation facilities.

According to the Health ministry report, the country has had more than 17,394 admissions since the pandemic struck, with Nairobi bearing almost 50 per cent of the admissions burden at 8,526.

Public facilities

Private health facilities in Nairobi have recorded 2,028 admissions while public facilities run by the Nairobi Metropolitan Services have admitted some 3,682 Covid-19 patients.

Mombasa was second with 1,161 admissions, followed by Busia at 1,060. Uasin Gishu had 924 admissions, Kiambu 464, Kajiado 460, Migori 348 and Machakos 294 admissions.

Tana River and Samburu counties have the country’s lowest Covid-19 admissions at two and four, respectively.

In terms of infections, however, only 17 per cent of the country’s 59,595 confirmed cases are aged above 50, yet when it comes to fatalities, this age bracket accounts for more than 62 per cent of the Covid-19 deaths.

The data further shows 64.66 per cent of those infected are male (38,532), with 35.34 per cent (21,063) being female.

Most of the patients were in the 30-39 years’ age bracket. These accounted for 31.29 per cent (18,646 cases), followed by those from 20-29 years at 21.77 per cent (12, 975 cases).

The 40-49 age bracket came in third at 18.94 per cent (11,287 cases), followed by those above 50 years at 18.79 per cent (11,198 cases).

School-going children, who are mostly under 19 years, are the least affected, possibly explaining the government’s confidence that has seen it maintain the school calendar must continue.

According to the data, the 11-19 age bracket has the lowest burden of infections at 4.48 per cent (2,668 cases), while those under the age of 10 are at 4.73 per cent (2,821 cases).