Kenyan authorities have launched a contact-tracing operation after an undiagnosed COVID-19 patient died at a Nairobi hospital on Monday, shortly after arriving in the city.

According to reports, the victim, identified as a local man from Democratic Republic of the Congo, fell ill in the country but later travelled to Kenya from Kampala and Entebbe in Uganda on October 3 before dying in Nairobi. 

In a statement on Thursday, the World Health Organisation Representative said the coming days would be crucial to prevent an outbreak in Kenya as authorities set to begin tracing individuals that came in contact with the victim. 

“Kenya races to trace all contacts after first Ebola death,  WHO official says Speaking in Nairobi on Wednesday, WHO Representative Dr. Neema Rusibamayila Kimambo said the coming days would be decisive in preventing community spread of the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, which has now claimed its first life in Kenya,” the statement said. 

Ms Kimambo also revealed on Wednesday that the Kenyan government had identified individuals who came in direct contact with the deceased but noted that the government was still working to identify others. 

She, however, stated that no infection had yet been detected.

“This is an outbreak of an imported case, one who came in and went straight to hospital, but the Government is working to identify all the relevant contacts as part of their response to this outbreak,” Ms Kimambo said. 

She said a list of contacts had been successfully traced, including around 10 of the man’s relatives who “have been very cooperative, and some actually volunteered themselves and they are now already placed under quarantine.”  

Additionally, the 21 health workers who responded to the victim in hospital, as well as lab nurses and others, have also been contacted by authorities. 

Ms Kimambo stressed that the next few days would be critical for authorities, citing that the incubation period of COVID-19 is between two to eight days. 

She added, “I think these next few days are critical because we know the incubation period will start from between two to eight days. If we are able to ensure that we do proper contact listing, get all contacts, put them in quarantine, then that will be the key to really contain and stop any community spread.”