Medical experts have urged South Africans to get flu vaccinations to protect themselves against flu-like symptoms and suspicions of contracting the Coronavirus.
This follows the first confirmed fatal case outside China where a man died from the coronavirus in the Philippines.
Authorities say the 44-year-old Chinese man from the city of Wuhan developed severe pneumonia over the course of his admission to hospital.
Over 300 people are now known to have died in China from the coronavirus with the total number of cases in the country being 14 300.
About 100 cases have been identified outside China including the United Kingdom, United States, Russia, Germany, Australia, Botswana and Namibia.
Dr Pete Vincent, from Netcare Medicross, says people travelling abroad need to maintain hand hygiene.
“South Africans should all go get the flu vaccination so they are at least protected against the flu and that would make life much easier. Your hand hygiene is very essential and keeping your hands away from your face when you travel. South Africa is on top of their game. We’ve been given out memos on what specimen to take out and how to treat the various stages of the illness. It can go from the common cold to pneumonia to respiratory collapse and renal failure and death. It seems to be the elderly and the sick that are the most prone to death,” says Dr Vincent.
