Dear Editor,
Please permit me to highlight a common characterization or distorting, of Coronavirus prevention in the global medical community. That said distortion has to do with the utility of N-95, KN-95 and other personal protective equipment (PPE) in combatting the spread of the coronavirus. Subsequent to the death of the first American from the Covid-19 virus, Vice President Pence said at a White House press conference regarding coronavirus preparations that “the average American does not need to go out and buy a mask.” Standing behind him, were President Trump, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams and Dr. Anthony Fauci who is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. One could logically conclude that V.P. Pence’s administration would defer to the said experts and premise rhetoric and party bills largely on their expert medical advice.
In the current week, I saw a coincidental and precipitous avalanche of enlightened advice from virtually every single medical body, government institution and media outlet stating the paramountcy of the N95 and KN95 masks in retarding the transmission of this virus. Editor, I’m not one for peddling conspiracy theories especially in the face of the current medical and political crises but I genuinely believe that the U.S. administration was likely suppressing demand in the general populace so that medical personnel could have access to PPE (N95 & KN95 masks, gloves, gowns etc). If this was indeed their rationale, it could be deemed as sensible albeit, Machiavellian. Yet I can’t say the same about the initial, widespread response from most Guyanese physicians.
In a local context, it is especially disappointing to see that even before V.P. Pence was off the podium, most Guyanese physicians on TV, social media and radio were largely all in unison: those masks and other PPE do not serve any purpose in these troubling times. It would be delightful if our politicians and two major ethnicities operate in such uniform harmony. Editor, from a completely non-medical point of view, one can deduce that the specialized masks would help to deter public gatherings as welling as individuals putting their hands on their mouth and nose. Not to mention the medical jargon of: Total Inward Leakage, filtration efficiency, particle filter ratio above 95% etc. If I were a betting man, I would place a good dollar that Guyanese physicians were not trying to suppress demand rather they were sheepishly parroting medical opinions put forward by a few albeit, distinguished physicians of developed countries. That said I’d implore any Guyanese to view the so-called “flattening of the curve” in other countries and its correlation with the widespread usage of masks, gloves etc.
The unfortunate consequence of withholding or virtually omitting that information could have led to an incalcuable number of deaths worldwide. Personally I find that to be a troubling conclusion in these troubling times.
Yours faithfully,
Sushil Persaud
