A number of persons who were once in institutional quarantine are now cleared to go home as a meeting was held to discuss the use of various medications to treat persons with COVID-19.
This was disclosed during the Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence’s daily COVID-19 update yesterday, where she spoke on the situation in Guyana. The minister stated that the number of confirmed positive cases remain at 37 while some 152 persons have been tested so far with 115 of those tests returning negative results. As of Thursday, the COVID-19 hotlines received approximately 1,701 calls.
According to Lawrence, the number of persons in institutional quarantine has decreased from 27 now to 11, while it was noted that the number of persons in institutional isolation has also decreased by 3 as it moved from 30 down to 27. The number of deaths as a result of COVID-19 remains at 6, the Minister said, adding that four persons are currently in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit with one of those persons in critical condition.
She further stated that the 21 persons who returned from Barbados and were held at a quarantine facility have been medically cleared to be sent home. A number of Guyanese persons returned to Guyana from Barbados on a chartered flight just over two weeks ago and were immediately taken into a quarantine facility by the Ministry of Public Health to be monitored. On that note it was also stated that seven persons who were on home quarantine were cleared.
The minister also reiterated that there are no vaccines or medications to address the coronavirus and that healthcare workers will treat persons according to the symptoms that they display.
A virtual meeting was held with technical experts from the Pan American Health Organization in Washington, District of Columbia, representatives of private hospitals in Guyana, and the Medical Council of Guyana along with members of the private sector yesterday, where the use of alternative testing modalities and use of medications was discussed.
Lawrence during the live update mentioned that the stakeholders discussed the possible use of rapid testing and the use of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine. Both drugs are normally used as treatment for malaria, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, among other conditions. Trials and testing of these drugs as a possible treatment for the coronavirus is currently ongoing in a number of countries.
The Minister spoke of the national curfew which was put in place and will be in effect over the Easter weekend and urged residents to stay indoors so as to stay safe and prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
