This archive report was first published on 20 June 2020.
On June 18, 2020, the Kenyan health ministry issued a warning about the increased risk of severe COVID-19 among patients with sickle-cell disease.
According to Health Chief Administrative Secretary Rashid Aman, people living with the disease should strictly observe precautionary measures to avoid contracting the coronavirus and seek medical attention if they experience COVID-19 symptoms.
Sickle-cell disease is a genetic disorder that affects the shape of red blood cells, leading to chronic pain, recurrent infections, and other complications.
“Patients with this disease often experience chronic pain, risk of recurrent infections and other serious complications. They are at higher risk of getting infected with COVID-19 and more likely to get severe illness if they get infected, this is due to their impaired immunity resulting from blood disorder,” Aman said.
Kenya has one of the highest rates of sickle-cell disease in Africa, with 6,000 children born with the disease every year. Up to 80% of these children die before their fifth birthday.
The health ministry has developed guidelines for managing the disease in collaboration with stakeholders in the health sector, which will be rolled out soon.
As of June 19, 2020, Kenya had reported 4,374 coronavirus infections, with 1,550 recoveries and 119 deaths since March.
