Almost two weeks after they were tested for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the family of the late Wilfred James, who succumbed to the disease earlier this month, are still awaiting their tests results despite being promised that they would receive it within five days.
The family fears that they would have to spend an additional two weeks in quarantine without knowing whether they have COVID-19 or not.
James, 73, of Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke-Linden Highway, became Guyana’s 23rd COVID-19 fatality on August 16 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 on Saturday that that his father was initially admitted to the hospital on August 4 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 there he was referred to the GPH.
According to Mark, subsequent to his father’s hospitalisation, the family was told that they had to be quarantined because of the symptoms he was displaying and as they may have contracted the disease from their father before he was taken to the hospital. He added that they did so willingly and never once left the house even after his father died.
Mark along with his sister and mother were placed in quarantine after James’ diagnosis.
He disclosed that two days after his father died, their two-week quarantine period ended and they were told to go to the Herstelling testing site to get tested. He said they did so, and were assured by the doctors that they would receive their results within five days and that they should remain in quarantine until they receive their results as a precautionary measure.
Further, he said, as a sign of good faith, the doctor gave them a number to call if they had any questions regarding their results.
Meanwhile, Mark added, the five days passed and still they did not receive their results, so he decided to call the number he was given and the person who answered told him that he wasn’t working that day and they should wait for someone to call them and give them their results.
“He said that if nobody ain’t call we, we still got to wait for the call and the test probably delay and this and that so we called back [last] Wednesday and never got through to them,” he said, before adding that he decided to call the hotline on Friday to get answers because nobody was answering the number he was given to call.
According, to Mark, he was told that he had to continue waiting.
However, he said that being continuously told that with no explanation is very frustrating especially since they were in quarantine for almost a month
“The thing is we still in the house here. We haven’t left the house and all this is affecting us, especially me, because I work and if I don’t work I won’t get paid,” he added before saying that the family fears being in quarantine another two weeks and after they get their results they would still have to remain in quarantine.
He added that the quarantine period has not been easy and if his family and friends didn’t provide food supplies and other necessary items, he doesn’t know what would’ve happened to them. “We cannot leave here to go somewhere to buy because we are law abiding citizens,” he said.
When asked if any members of the family experienced any COVID-19 symptoms while in quarantine, he said that his mother, who is 52 years old, suffered from shortness of breath but those symptoms have since subsided.
He revealed that while in quarantine they have been taking their vitamins and drinking herbal teas to strengthen their immune system. He noted that they were all in contact with his father hence the reason why they are adhering to all the guidelines and requests that they were asked to follow.
However, he said, even if they had contracted the disease, it would no longer be infectious even if they tested positive for a second test because according to the World Health Organization (WHO), persons only need to be isolated for 14 days and after that they would no longer be infectious. As a result of this, he queried if once the 14-day period for isolation is up if they will be allowed to leave considering that they had already spent almost a month in quarantine.
Mark emphasised that the only thing he wants is for his questions to be answered.
