DRC: COVID-19 fears grow, Ebola rears ugly head

A mass sensitization over the coronavirus is underway in the Democratic Republic of Congo as fears of the virus grow.

This comes as the deadly Ebola viral disease resurfaced in the epicenter Friday according to the WHO.

Katungo Methya is the DRC’s Red Cross volunteer community health worker. She’s upset about the turn of events, but remains positive.

“I talk to the household, the mum, the dad, and I tell them how they can protect themselves against coronavirus because it’s such a dangerous disease. It’s so upsetting to have this second disease. We lost so many people through Ebola, a lot of deaths, now corona, everyone is afraid. Everyone is really afraid”, Methya said.

Aristote Basi survived the ebola epidemic and shares some advice.

‘‘The coronavirus is really bad, so to survive we must stick to the hygiene measures that the health authorities are telling us’‘, Basi said.

DR Congo battled ebola for more than 18 months. Thousands of people died. In March the last ebola patient was discharged and the outbreak was supposed to be officially declared over on Sunday.

Central Africa’s most populous nation is also battling the novel coronavirus. On April 3, at least one case of the virus was confirmed in the Beni region by authorities.

AP