The number of persons tested in Guyana for the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) has increased significantly over the previous eight days, during which time confirmed cases have risen to 48.
In an update yesterday, the Ministry of Public Health reported that the number of positive cases as of April 14th increased by one to 48. As a result, the number of persons within institutional isolation has also increased by one, moving from 33 to 34.
The number of persons who are currently hospitalised in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) remained the same, while the number of persons in institutional quarantine moved from 19 to 21.
The government has faced public criticism over the testing criteria which has seen the absence of testing in large numbers, resulting in only small increases in the number of confirmed cases.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that for containing the virus, vigorous testing is critical.
During a telephone interview with Stabroek News, Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO) Dr. Karen Gordon-Boyle said the criteria for testing persons for the virus has slightly changed from the time they had initially begun testing for the virus to present. She related that initially for a person to be tested for the virus, they had to have a history of travel but that now is no longer a part of the criteria as there has been an increase in local transmission.
Those now being tested include those who have displayed certain symptoms, been in contact with a case or probable case, been in a hospital facility where they cared for a positive case of the virus or work in a facility where they would have cared for a positive case of the virus.
Some 92 persons have been tested for the virus from the period of April 7th to April 14th. The Department of Public Information last week noted that Guyana’s testing capacity can be maximised as the National Public Health Reference Laboratory can process 48 COVID-19 samples during one eight-hour shift. However, thus far, the largest increase in the number of persons tested was between the periods of April 9 and April 10, when some 23 more persons were tested. On the opposite end of the spectrum, between April 11 and April 12, no one was tested.
Based on the ministry’s updates, between April 7th and April 8th, the number of persons tested increased by 13, while between April 8 and 9h the number increased by 7. Between April 10 and 11, the number of persons tested increased by 18, while it increased by 20 between April 12 and 13 and by 11 between April 13 and 14.
