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Covid-19 is a faceless enemy, it is important to prevent its spread as it is highly contagious and dangerous for some people like those whose immune system is failing (PLWHIV with a detectable viral load, people with cardiovascular disease, respiratory disorders or diabetes, or who are 60 years of age or older) and are at much higher risk of getting sick and have more severe symptoms.

Health care providers (doctors, nurses and laboratory technicians,...) are on the front line and are much more exposed to contamination. They have to take more precautions to prevent themselves but also to protect the patients they take care of.
Despite the unavailability of all protective equipment (PPE), other preventive measures are practiced: distance in the consulting room, wearing a mask when providing care, hand washing when entering and leaving the health facility as well as regular hand washing of health care providers.

Even with all the precautions, the covid-19 pandemic can frighten and be a source of anxiety, the anguish of being contaminated and contaminating in turn their relatives:
“The worry does not lack face an eventual contamination of COVID-19 in daily medical practice, but the courage and dedication to saving lives make us forget this fear and we take care of anyone who consults us by respecting the rules of prevention issued by the Ministry of Public Health and the fight against AIDS “says Dr Derrick, volunteer at SYM.

Covid-19 disease usually starts after 2 to 14 days of incubation by clinical signs common to viral attacks (cough, fever, shortness of breath, tiredness, nasal discharge, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, etc.). However, the disease remains asymptomatic: the carriers of the virus can then transmit it without being aware of it.
Hence, special attention must be paid to preventive measures and to the health of patients to cope with the anguish caused by the pandemic.
"Since the announcement of the covid-19 prevention measures by the Ministry of Public Health and the Fight against AIDS, during the visits of the mobile clinic in the field, we have included in the therapeutic education sessions, the barrier gestures of covid-19 prevention but also we encourage our beneficiaries not to give in to fear in order to continue coming to their appointments as usual" adds Jean-Noël MUKUNZI, Health Mediator at SYM.