HARARE – Zimbabwe recorded its first Covid-19 death on Monday – the passing of 30-year-old broadcaster Zororo Makamba.

Zimbabwe has to date confirmed just two Covid-19 cases – the first a 38-year-old male resident of Victoria Falls on 20 March, and Makamba’s a day later.

The young radio and television producer’s death was announced by family friend Mutumwa Mawere, and later confirmed by Agnes Mahomva, the permanent secretary in the ministry of health.

Mahomva said: “It’s a very sad day for us.”

The former ZiFM presenter who had government contracts to do explainer videos and son of Telecel co-founder and former Zanu PF MP James Makamba, travelled to New York in the United States on February 29 and returned to Harare via Johannesburg on March 9.

He reportedly started having flu-like symptoms on March 12 which got progressively worse until he consulted a doctor on March 19.

The doctor advised Makamba to self-isolate at home and specimens were collected for testing.

The ministry of health said he developed “severe respiratory distress on March 20”, prompting his admission for isolation and clinical management at the infectious diseases Wilkins Hospital in Harare.

He was announced as Zimbabwe’s second coronavirus patient on March 21.

Sources said Makamba was receiving treatment for myasthenia gravis – which manifests as a weakness and rapid fatigue of muscles.

Over 90 percent of the people who contract coronavirus go on and make a recovery, but scientists say those who fail to make it usually are immunocompromised – having a weakened or impaired immune system through illness, drugs or malnutrition which reduces one’s ability to fight infections and other diseases.

Common conditions which weaken the immune system include diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, blood and bone marrow cancers, HIV/AIDS, chronic kidney disease, chronic lung disease, chronic heart disease and chronic liver disease.

In an update on Sunday, the ministry of health said the first patient, who had travelled to Manchester in England, “is showing signs of recovery and is being managed under self-isolation at home.” The same update had said Makamba, who was referred to as the “second patient”, was “stable”.

Officials said they had tracked down seven people who were in contact with Makamba, and tests carried out had come back negative for four of them while results were outstanding for the other three. Eleven other people were still being traced.