This archive report was first published on 7 June 2020.
Nairobi - In a stark reminder of the dangers of Covid-19, All Saints Cathedral Provost Sammy Wainaina has been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi after contracting the disease.
On Tuesday last week, Wainaina developed what he thought was a normal cold, but the symptoms persisted even after taking medicine he bought from a chemist on his way home.
“I walked into a chemist, got some antibiotics and painkillers then went home thinking it would just go away. I was wrong,” Wainaina told the Sunday Standard on the phone from the ICU.
Wainaina, who has been conducting online services due to the ban on physical congregations, believes he contracted the virus despite taking all necessary precautions.
“I have taken all measures and precautions as outlined by the Health Ministry. From Sunday services to being in the office, I have minimised contact,” he said.
However, his condition deteriorated, and he was referred to the main hospital where he was found to have pneumonia and later tested positive for Covid-19.
Wainaina's experience serves as a warning to Kenyans to take the disease seriously and not assume that they cannot catch it.
“My advice is that once you develop a cold during this period, do not treat it merely as a cold because it could as well be coronavirus,” he said.
Wainaina urged Kenyans to isolate themselves if they suspect they might be sick to avoid risking the lives of others.
Published on June 7, 2020, in The Standard.
