A media briefing is currently underway with health authorities in South Africa regarding the #coronavirus.
Tweets via @nicd_sa.
1. Preparedness involves 2 components. Firstly the ability to rapidly identify and detect a suspected case of 2019-nCoV and secondly, ensuring that South Africa has procedures in place to respond and contain the virus should a case be identified.
2. Many activities have been implemented to ensure that we will be able to rapidly identify a case. @ ports of entry, fever screening is in place. Feverscreening protocols have been adapted to focus on nCoV.priority is focused on flights returning from 🇨🇳 #NoNovelCoronavirusinSA
3. Should a case be identified there are facilities in place to isolate the case to limit possible spread of the infection and collect samples for rapid transport to the @nicd_sa to confirm the diagnosis.
4. A dedicated team of epidemiologists, public health specialists, technologists, scientists etc. has established databases and protocols for tracking the progress of #coronavirus #NoCoronavirusinSA
5. South Africa has an emergency operations center or EOC, housed @nicd_sa This Center is specifically designed to coordinate responses to complex health risks and brings together all partners under a single integrated management structure.
6. South Africa is actively monitoring the global situation with regard to the #coronavirus in real-time. We have dedicated staff who use specialised software to scan both official reports and the media, 24 hours a day and collate these for review daily or more frequently if needed.
7. The hotline number is +27 11 386 6400.
