Burundi: 10 die in less than two weeks after COVID-19 like symptoms
In less than two weeks, over 10 residents in Cankuzo province, one of the 18 provinces in Burundi have succumbed to an unidentified disease, sparking fear and panic among locals.
The symptoms exhibited by the victims bear close semblance to those of COVID-19 patients, RPA reports.
"At first, people cough for a long time. Afterwards, they begin to have fever and headaches. The most threatened are children and the elderly. Once in the hospital, they are tested to see if they do not suffer from malaria, but the results are all negative," a resident told RPA.
Faced with this alarming situation, residents have urged the government to equip local health facilities with the necessary means and equipment to identify and address the disease promptly.
"The last two weeks, at least 14 people have died on the only sub-hill of Mukaza, Mugera Hill. We have also heard that in other hills like Kaniha and everywhere else, people die in large numbers,” said another source in Mishiha, a commune in the Cankuzo province.
Residents in Cankuzo have expressed concerns that these deaths may be attributed to COVID-19 and have urged the government, specifically the Ministry of Public Health, to supply the necessary resources for coronavirus screening in health institutions within the province to prevent further fatalities.
According to sources, 14 individuals with these symptoms have already died, and an additional two patients, displaying similar signs, including a national from Muyaga Hill, a forest in Rwanda passed away at Cankuzo Hospital, the report disclosed.
