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30-Year-Old Zimbabwe Broadcaster Zororo Makamba Dies From Coronavirus Infection

By Modupeoluwa Adekanye
24 March 2020   |   11:34 am
A prominent 30-year-old television journalist has died in Zimbabwe after contracting the new coronavirus infection, this makes him the first person to die in the country from the virus. Zororo Makamba was one of the two people who tested positive for coronavirus on Saturday and was isolated at the Wilkins hospital, Harare's only isolation facility.…

A prominent 30-year-old television journalist has died in Zimbabwe after contracting the new coronavirus infection, this makes him the first person to die in the country from the virus.

Zororo Makamba was one of the two people who tested positive for coronavirus on Saturday and was isolated at the Wilkins hospital, Harare’s only isolation facility.

Makamba contracted the virus while he was in New York. Speaking about underlying illness, Makamba’s childhood friend said he was suffering from a rare condition known as Myasthenia gravis, a chronic, neuromuscular illness, and had undergone surgery to remove a tumor from his chest last year as reported by CNN.

Zimbabwe’s information minister, Monica Mutsvangwa, said she received the news with sadness and shock.

Makamba traveled to New York on February 29 and returned to his home in Harare on March 9.

In a statement by the Health Minister Obadiah Moyo, Makamba began to exhibit mild flu-like symptoms a few days later on March 12 after which he contacted his doctor a week later and he was advised to self-isolate.

On arrival at hospital, Makamba developed severe respiratory distress and was kept in isolation under supervision from health practitioners.

Authorities are now tracing people who came into contact with him.

On Monday night, Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced the closure of all borders except for returning residents and cargo effective immediately.

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