By Michael Gwarisa
More than 382 students at St Faith’s High School in Makoni District, Manicaland Province, have been affected by an outbreak of an acute respiratory illness that has swept through the boarding school since Thursday, overwhelming the school’s clinic and leaving eight learners admitted to hospital.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) say the illness presents with flu-like symptoms that closely resemble COVID-19 and other viral respiratory tract infections, although the exact cause has not yet been confirmed due to a shortage of diagnostic testing kits.
In an exclusive interview with HealthTimes, Makoni District Medical Officer, Dr Tendai Nyafesa, he said the outbreak began on 16 July 2026 and has so far remained confined to the school.
“Since Thursday, July 16, 2026, the school has recorded an outbreak of an acute respiratory tract infection, with a cumulative total of more than 382 students presenting with flu-like symptoms. The clinical presentation strongly mirrors COVID-19 and other viral respiratory tract infections,” said Dr Nyafesa.
He said 275 of the affected students were assessed and treated at the school’s Jairos Jiri Clinic, while the remaining learners sought medical care at a private hospital.
“Currently, eight students remain admitted for observation. All admitted patients are in stable condition,” he said.
Dr Nyafesa said health officials had been unable to establish a definitive diagnosis because of a shortage of diagnostic testing kits.
“Definitive diagnosis, such as COVID-19 confirmation, could not be established due to a current shortage of diagnostic testing kits,” he said, adding that affected students were responding exceptionally well to supportive treatment.
Despite the large number of cases, health authorities said there was currently no evidence that the outbreak had spread beyond the school.
“To date, the outbreak remains strictly localised to the school. No community transmission or cases outside the institution have been reported,” he said.
In a letter dated 18 July 2026 addressed to parents and guardians, St Faith’s High School head, A. Makamba, confirmed that the illness had affected most learners at the school.
“There has been a cold flu in the school which has affected most of our students since Thursday night, 16th of July 2026. Some of the students have been attended to at our local clinic and at Tait Medical Centre,” reads part of the letter.
The school also confirmed that it had alerted both the District Health Office and the District Education Office and assured parents that the situation was under control.
“I will keep you updated on the situation,” Makamba wrote.
Parents who spoke to HealthTimes on condition of anonymity said the rapid spread of the illness had initially raised fears that it could be COVID-19.
“My Form Two son at St Faith’s is one of the affected pupils and is admitted at a hospital in Rusape. The doctors said he has pneumonia on admission,” said one parent.
An environmental assessment conducted by the Makoni District Health Team identified overcrowding in student dormitories as a major factor that likely accelerated the spread of the respiratory infection.
The investigation found significant congestion, particularly in the Form Two dormitories, where high population density is believed to have facilitated rapid transmission of the virus.
To contain the outbreak, the District Health Team has directed the school to immediately decongest the overcrowded dormitories, with priority being given to the Form Two accommodation to allow for safer physical spacing among learners.
Health officials have also instructed the school to provide warm bathing water for students every morning to reduce exposure to cold temperatures and support their wellbeing during the outbreak.
In addition, the school’s nurse and the Environmental Health Technician will conduct daily surveillance and monitoring to track students’ recovery, identify new cases early and monitor trends in the outbreak.
Health authorities said they would continue monitoring the situation closely while implementing measures aimed at preventing further transmission within the school.
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