China coronavirus: African nations quarantine symptomatic passengers from China but no cases confirmed
- Lack of equipped medical labs and kits raises fears that many African countries may not have the capacity to detect and handle the virus
- A patient under medical observation in Ivory Coast has tested negative, health officials say
Four more African countries have quarantined passengers arriving from China over suspected cases of Wuhan coronavirus even as tests ruled out infection in a person who was under medical observation in Ivory Coast.
In Sudan, health minister Akram Ali Altoum announced that two of its citizens were being examined after displaying symptoms following a visit to Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak. “We received two suspected cases who came from China through Cairo and Addis Ababa,” Altoum said, adding that infections had not been confirmed.
The country does not have the necessary testing equipment and has sent samples to Germany and India, as recommended by the World Health Organisation, state-owned Sudan News Agency reported.
The lack of equipped medical labs and kits has raised fears that many African nations may not have the capacity to detect and handle the virus.
Altoum said Sudan had increased surveillance and screening at airports and borders, setting up seven checkpoints to monitor the movement of people entering the country. China is a major investor and trading partner in Sudan, with thousands of workers in the oil sector, including in South Sudan, where it has invested heavily in oil exploration and refining.