A second person with the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) died yesterday, while the number of confirmed cases rose to 12.
In an update, Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO) Dr. Karen Gordon-Boyle confirmed that a second person succumbed yesterday morning, and the new cases, which were localised to Region Four. She provided no information on the patient who died. (See other story on this page.)
Of the 12, 10 of are from Region Four, one from Region Three and one from Region Six.
She said in total 55 persons have been tested; thirty-nine of those persons tested negative, twelve tested positive and one test was inconclusive. She did not reveal the results of the two remaining persons who would have made up the total number of persons tested. Further, she added one person is currently a patient in Intensive Care and 43 persons are in institutional quarantine.
Meanwhile, Dr. Fawcett Jeffrey, the Director Medical and Professional Services, also issued an advisory, which was seen by Stabroek News, to all heads of department at the hospital informing that as of yesterday morning, one patient succumbed after attempts to resuscitate failed. He asked them to follow all necessary precautions before saying that they should ensure to use a face mask when appropriate since the Georgetown Public Hospital Corpora-tion (GPHC) is expecting a surge in the number of patients going to the institution in the coming weeks. He added that they presently have three patients in the isolation area. Two of them had tested positive for COVID-19, while one is awaiting results.
COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a new virus. The disease, which causes respiratory illness, was first recorded in Wuhan, China and has since spread across the globe, causing the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a global pandemic.
The WHO says the major warning signs of COVID-19 are fever, fatigue and a dry cough. But it says other indicators include headache, shortness of breath, general aches and pains or a sore throat. “And a very few people,” it adds on its website, “will report diarrhea, nausea or a runny nose.”
In severe cases, persons have difficulty breathing which can result in that patient being hospitalized and in some instances, death.
According to the WHO website, as of yesterday there were 754,948 confirmed cases across the globe, with 36,571 confirmed deaths in 203 countries, areas or territories.
Guyana confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on March 11, 2020, after a 52-year-old woman who had travelled from the United States to Guyana on March 5 died at the GPHC. Several persons who were on the flight with the woman were subsequently quarantined while over 43 persons from the GPHC were asked to self-quarantine after they came into contact with the patient. Eighteen persons related to the 52-year-old have also been asked to self-quarantine.
Four of the woman’s relatives have since been diagnosed with COVID-19.
At least three of the 12 cases are known to have no link to patient zero or the community where she resided.
Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence on Mon-day stated that using the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) model to determine the number of projected cases, they have projected that 1,400 Guyanese will be infected by the disease. As a result, the Ministry is preparing for 100 persons to be hospitalized in the ICU. There are three hundred isolation beds across the country and there is a capacity of 730 bed for institutional quarantine. The Pan American Health Organisation and World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) representative Dr. William Adu-Krow has since donated 14 ventilators to the ministry and have made additional requests for 100 more to be brought to Guyana.
Meanwhile, Gordon-Boyle added yesterday that in an effort to contain and mitigate the further spread of the disease, the Ministry will be strengthening community and hospital surveillance as well as the rapid response surveillance team.
She added that the various regions are actively working on developing a system where all patients, especially those with chronic disease, can be seen before. She added that the guidelines for prevention of COVID-19 is the same for persons who fall under the category of immunocompromised patients while stressing that because of those underlying conditions, they must take extra precautions. “We are in the process of organizing alternative arrangements so that they are provided with their medications without putting themselves at risk,” she stated before adding that at-risks group may not need to go to a hospital. However, she said, the best mode to operate for those groups will be shared at a later date.
In relation to the death of a patient at the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH), Gordon-Boyle confirmed that he did not die from COVID-19 as is being alleged. She stated that the death is a result of underlying health conditions and made an appeal for persons to desist from stigmatizing the family. “We must empathize with this family for the loss of their loved one,” she added before asking persons to adhere to all MoPH advisories as it relates to COVID-19.
The patient had died last Thursday and was tested on Friday after health personnel said that he displayed symptoms of COVID-19. He was tested but the result was negative.
