Following the coronavirus outbreak, local authorities are currently monitoring 13 persons who have returned to Guyana from China and a few others are expected to arrive in the country this weekend, Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO) Dr Karen Gordon-Campbell has said.
Gordon-Campbell, in an invited comment yesterday, told Stabroek News that the persons came directly from China on different occasions from January to this week.
Among them are students who were on scholarships and “a few persons” from the Chinese embassy, she said.
She explained that the persons were screened upon their arrival in the country and although they have not exhibited any symptoms of the coronavirus, they are still being monitored.
“The requirement is for them to remain at home in isolation for 14 days until the incubation period is over… They’re supposed to be taking daily temperatures, keeping a log, registering with the nearest health facility if they have a spiking in temperature—if that happens they will be seen by medical personnel but so far nobody has had any problems,” Gordon-Campbell stated.
During last week, health authorities here had announced that although Guyana’s risk for the presence of the coronavirus is relatively “low”, the country is “ready and equipped” in the event of an outbreak of infections.
According to PAHO/ WHO, coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases, such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). Common symptoms of the virus include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties. More severe infections can cause pneumonia, kidney failure and even death.
The cause of the infection is unknown. Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people.
In a press release issued last week Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had announced that persons arriving from China will be subject to quarantine protocols, while also indicating that they could be denied entry.
“Persons in China who plan to travel to Guyana are asked to defer those plans until further notice as they are likely to be denied entry. Those in Guyana, who plan to travel to China, are advised to postpone those plans. Persons arriving in Guyana from China, will be subject to quarantine protocols and may be quarantined in a health facility or at home, depending on the outcome of the risk assessment,” the advisory had noted.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Shamdeo Persaud had said at the press conference last week that screening has started at the various ports of entry across the country, including the Eugene F Correia Inter-national Airport and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, where the Public Health Ministry has been sensitising officials on how to deal with suspected cases.
The Georgetown Public Hospital and the Diamond Regional Hospital have been identified as the two facilities for isolation of any passengers suspected to have the coronavirus.
