A Kenyan truck driver who tested positive in Uganda has tested negative in Kenya, the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) has said.
The trucker was tested at the Malaba border on May 3, and the Ugandan officials later called him and confirmed to him his positive status while he was on his way to Mombasa.
As per agreed standard, the driver was picked by the county COVID -19 response team and isolated at the Voi County Referral Hospital.
A confirmatory was later taken by the health officials who also kicked off contact tracing. The test came back negative at the KEMRI offices in Kilifi.
Health Executive John Mwakima Mwangeka confirmed the driver’s test results and said more tests were being done at the Taita Taveta border to curb the spread of coronavirus.
UVRI Explains How
The Executive Director Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), Prof Pontiano Kaleebu, said on Thursday that scientifically, it is possible for someone to test positive and have a negative result afterwards.
“Positivity comes when viraemia, which is the presence of viruses in the blood goes up and that usually comes two or three days after infection. However, after 14 days the virus goes down, which however doesn’t mean that someone is negative until antibody tests prove so,” he said.
Prof Kaleebu added that the same patient had a positive result at the third round of testing in Kenya.
So far 63 patients have recovered from Covid-19 in Uganda. The country’s caseload stands at 160, with more than 100 cases recorded from truck drivers.
