With a fifth case of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) having been confirmed in the country, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) is considering importing and using the Cuban anti-viral drug, Interferon Alfa-2B, as a possible treatment for the respiratory illness.
Five persons have now tested positive for COVID-19 here. There are currently four active cases of COVID-19 in Guyana while one person has died of the disease.
While there is no known cure for COVID-19, the Interferon Alfa-2B drug was among 30 medicines chosen by the Chinese National Health Commission to fight the virus. According to reports, the drug is currently being used in Italy and is being requested by countries all around the world.
Interferon Alfa-2B has been used as a treatment for HIV/ AIDS, hepatitis B and C, herpes zoster or shingles, dengue and different types of cancers. The medication increases the natural production of interferon in the human body and strengthens the immune system of patients, thus, is reportedly effective in treating COVID-19.
During an interview with Stabroek News yesterday, Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO) Dr Karen Gordon-Boyle revealed that the MoPH is not only considering Interferon Alfa-2B but also another Cuban drug that was developed recently. She did not reveal the name of the drug but stated it was used to treat persons in China and is now being used in Italy. She added that they are waiting for the World Health Organization (WHO) to endorse the drug and explained that since Guyana doesn’t have the capacity to test the drug to determine if it is safe to use, there is uncertainty about purchasing it.
She noted that the Interferon Alfa-2B drug, which was developed in the 1980s, seems “promising” but they still have to research how widely the drug is used and what the side effects are if it is used on a COVID-19 patient. The DCMO added that they also have to consider the price of the drug since it is currently in high demand.
In the meantime, Gordon-Boyle said, depending on the symptoms of a COVID-19 patient, they will be using their unlimited supply of medicines like Panadol, Theraflu, antibiotics, among other flu-related drugs, to help treat COVID-19. She added that home remedies can also be used.
The DCMO noted that in cases where patients need ventilators and respirators, they are hoping that early detection will play a role in ensuring that persons avoid that stage. She noted that the MoPH has those equipment in place if the need arises.
However, only tertiary-level health facilities will be able to provide those services. Gordon-Boyle noted that they are working on putting systems in place where they do not have to transport patients in a critical state from another region to George-town. She explained it would be difficult to transport a critical patient from a region which is why they are currently working in putting together a system where critical patients can be treated in their region.
“We want every region to have some capacity to deal with it [COVID-19] in their region because if we have to transport them from each region, everyone along the way will have to be protected and the mode of transportation will have to be sanitised and cleaned after they are transported, so it’s a lot of logistics involved. So if we catch them early and support them early, we put them in isolation early and hopefully, if the person doesn’t have a compromised immune system, we would be able to take care of them without it becoming complicated or severe, but I have to say 81 per cent [of COVID-19 patients] suffer from mild symptoms and 2-4 per cent will be critical,” she said.
Response
So far, the MoPH has identified isolation facilities, which are equipped with washrooms, beds and a place to eat, in most of the “high-risk” regions with the exception of Region One though a health team is expected to visit the region this weekend to identify an isolation area and to sensitise health officials about COVID-19.
Gordon-Boyle explained that unless the patient has difficulty breathing, there is no need for further equipment. She stressed that the isolation facility is basically a space that is organised to ensure that the health officials taking care of the patient doesn’t become infected with COVID-19. She noted that there is also an area where the health officials can dispose of contaminated protective equipment and take a shower after checking on the patient.
Meanwhile, the DCMO noted that health officials from various regions have been forming response teams, who will be making sure that persons remain in quarantine once they have tested positive for COVID-19. The response teams will also be treating COVID-19 patients.
Gordon-Boyle added that on Tuesday night, a team from the Health Emergency Operation Centre submitted a number of recommendations, which they think should be implemented to avoid the spreading of COVID-19, to the ministerial task force set up to tackle the disease and other private sector establishments.
One of the key recommendations involves public transportation. The DCMO said that they have recommended that bus conductors decrease the number of passengers in a bus and ensure there is always a sanitiser in hand as she noted too that COVID-19 can be transmitted through money. To ensure that those recommendations are adhered to, she said, they have also recommended that sanctions are in place as well.
However, Gordon-Boyle said, those recommendations are from the public health perspective and it is up to the ministerial task force to accept those recommendations and decide what type of sanctions could be implemented.
When asked if closing Guyana’s land borders were part of the recommendations, Gordon-Boyle said that it will be difficult to do so because persons can still enter Guyana through areas where there are no immigration offices.
According to Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Public Security, Mary Adams, there are no plans to close the borders in region One, Six and Nine.
However, the Chairman of Region Nine Bryan Allicock has indicated that Brazilian authorities have sent them a notice saying that they should expect Brazil’s side of the borders to be closed soon. He noted that there has been one confirmed case of COVID-19 in the Brazilian town of Boa Vista, bringing the virus closer to Lethem, the regional capital.
He added that most businesses in Lethem have closed for a 14-day period and the town has seen a decline in Brazilian shoppers.
