Govt dismisses reports of new Covid-19 variant in Uganda

Dr. Daniel Kyabayinze, the director of public health at the ministry, has dismissed claims circulating on social media suggesting that the new COVID-19 variant in Uganda causes no cough or fever. The social media dossier indicated that the variant instead presents symptoms like neck pain, headache, joint pains, and pneumonia.

Kyabayinze labeled the information as scaremongering and emphasized that, while people are still contracting the viral respiratory disease, there has been no surge in hospitalizations or deaths in Uganda. He questioned the source and credibility of the information in the social media dossier, noting that there are two new strains of variants, JN1 and another one with X, which are offshoots of Omicron and are circulating in other countries.

He stated, “In the background, we’re also knowing that there is COVID in circulation, even in Uganda. The only difference is we’re not seeing people hospitalized, no change in numbers and no people recorded died due to COVID.”

Kyabayinze encouraged individuals with suspicious symptoms to undergo testing to eliminate the possibility of either normal seasonal flu or COVID-19. He expressed concern over the declining numbers of people seeking testing and vaccination.

He added, “Many people have been infected before, so COVID is becoming one of the normal infections that we’re having in the population. So it is no longer a public concern if the strain can be managed and is being prevented by the vaccines we got…This is the comfort I’m giving to Ugandans.”

The Ministry of Health urged people to consider booster doses for safety. However, the uptake of booster doses has been low, leading to the expiration of over five million doses valued at approximately Shs 28 billion, as reported by the recent Auditor General’s report. National Medical Stores (NMS) issued an urgent call for the utilization of COVID-19 vaccines in stores. Moses Kamabare, the NMS boss, highlighted that demand for these drugs by districts is nearly zero and expressed concerns about their expiration if efforts to increase uptake are not implemented. Despite this, Kyabayinze clarified that the ministry currently has no plans for a new vaccination campaign to encourage booster shots.