Namibia Health Plan (NHP) is aware of the pandemic outbreak of the Coronavirus. The virus outbreak is being treated at an international and national level, therefore the Fund will be guided by the Ministry of Health and Social Services of Namibia regarding the appropriate national protocols to be followed.

To date, there is no specific medicine recommended to prevent or treat the novel Coronavirus. However, those infected with 2019-nCoV should receive appropriate care to relieve and treat symptoms, and those with severe illness should receive optimized supportive care.

If you want to protect yourself from getting infected with the new Coronavirus, you should maintain basic hand and respiratory hygiene, safe food practices and to avoid close contact, when possible, with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.

If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing seek medical care early to reduce the risk of developing a more severe infection and be sure to share your recent travel history with your health care provider.

The Ministry of Health and Social Services advises the general public to adhere to the following measures as part of prevention:

• Regular hand washing with soap and water,
• Covering mouth and nose with a disposable tissue or cloth when coughing or sneezing. Travellers with symptoms of acute respiratory infection should practice cough etiquette and limit contact with others,
• Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing, keep a distance of one step (meter).
• Minimize or avoid public gatherings,
• Thorough cooking of meat, poultry, seafood and eggs,
• Drink plenty of fluids and exercise,
• Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands if in contact with sick people or with potentially infected surfaces or objects,
• People should seek immediate treatment if infection is suspected, if symptoms occur (severe flu-like illness with recent travel history to China in the past 14 days or contact with a person from China who is reported to be infected with the 2019-nCoV) or if advised by a health worker to do so.  

Signs and symptoms

• Coughing
• Fever
• Pneumonia
• Shortness of breath
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Severe pneumonia
• Renal (kidney) failure 

Please see your doctor if you are experiencing the above-mentioned symptoms.

For more information, kindly contact Ministry of Health at 061 2032054 or 2032423/2150

Source:

World Health Organization (WHO) https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Ministry of Health and Social Services press statement on the Novel Corona Virus Outbreak in China, 22 January 2020.