Relatives of Guyana’s latest COVID-19 fatality are still unsure how he contracted the virus as he had not left home since June when he went for a medical check-up.
Wilfred James, 73, of Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke-Linden Highway, became Guyana’s 23rd COVID-19 fatality on Sunday when he died at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit, where he had been a patient for a week.
Mark James, the man’s son, told Stabroek News that that his father was initially admitted to the hospital on August 4th after he was experiencing shortness of breath. At that time, his father was taken to a health centre at Soesdyke, then to the Diamond Regional Hospital, from where he was referred to the GPH.
Mark explained that even before he was taken the hospital, his father had exhibited flu-like symptoms in July and was treated with home remedies and had started to recover. Subsequently the elder James was back to his normal routine. “Some one of the days after he started getting better, he was in the garden weeding the yard and stuff and the sun was hot then the rain came down and he got soaked,” James said while adding that after that day his father then developed a heavy cough, which he attributed to having a chest cold.
He detailed that at the beginning of August, his father fell as he was feeling weak. However, he subsequently reported that he felt better and refused to go to the hospital. His condition worsened at home and he was subsequently taken to the hospital on August 4th.
While at the Diamond Regional Hospital, Mark said his father was put on oxygen as physicians there explained that his oxygen saturation level was low. After he was admitted to the GPH on August 4th, family members were able to keep in contact with him and speak to him over the phone.
James told this newspaper that even up to August 8th, he spoke with his father over the phone and the man explained that he was feeling well although he was slightly nauseous at that time. That was the last time Mark and other family members were able to speak directly with the elder James. Several calls were made to his cellphone and they were unable to reach him and as a result the elder James’ wife went to the hospital to find out what was going on.
“Around midday my mother and sister decided they gon’ go down to the hospital… and the doctor informed them that he was tested positive for the coronavirus and they told them that they should go back home and quarantine until they send a testing team up to test us,” Mark said.
As the week passed, he noted, they were getting updates that the senior was doing well until Sunday, when they got the call that James had passed away. “The week pass and when we call, we getting updates that he was in a stable condition… until yesterday [Sunday], when I get the call about 3.15pm that he just passed.” Mark noted.
Just one day before his death, he said, the family got an update that his father was doing well and doctors were planning to take him off the ventilator. Mark added that they are not sure how he reacted after they started weening him off the ventilator.
‘The only time’
Mark and other family members are still not sure how his father contracted the coronavirus as he had no exposure to other persons since the beginning of the outbreak in March. He explained that his father only went out for a health check-up in June and to refill medication that he uses regularly. “It was a while that we ain’t really take him anywhere with us because of this COVID pandemic,” Mark said.
However, he was taken to the Health Centre in June to have a check-up and to receive medication to treat diabetes and for other vitamins and supplements. “That was the only time he was out of the house since the pandemic. According to Mark, while his father had no other underlying conditions besides diabetes, he suffered a stroke just over two years ago. His father, who was a seaman, suffered a stroke just after he stopped working and took a break from the sea.
He noted that his father loved working at sea and has even been a member of the army coastguard. “That’s what he loves; it’s like the sea become second nature to him. Even up to recently in July we were talking and he was like ‘You know what would make I feel good is if I could go back at sea again’,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mark noted that officials from a surveillance team have been in contact with the family daily to check on their condition and if they have developed any symptoms related to the virus, but they still have not been tested since their self-quarantine. He noted that neither he nor his sister has exhibited any symptoms of the virus. “Tomorrow (Tuesday) or Wednesday I think would be the 14 days and they told us that somebody will call us to test us,” he said.
