One month after announcing that samples were to be sent for genomic sequencing to ascertain whether the Omicron variant was present in Guyana, Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony yesterday revealed that the samples were shipped recently.
The Minister made this revelation during his daily COVID-19 update.
He stated that 20 samples were sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) for genetic sequencing in order to determine what COVID-19 variants are circulating here. “Over the weekend we would have sent 20 samples to CARPHA for confirmation,” he said.
Dr. Anthony noted that the results from these samples are expected to be returned within two to three weeks. However, he reiterated that officials here are convinced that the Omicron variant is here, based on the clinical presentation of patients that have been seen since late December.
Anthony added, “In the late December, January, February period we would have seen a conversion from Delta to Omicron because of the clinical picture that we have been seeing over this period of time but these samples would confirm whether what we have seen clinically whether that is true.”
Early in January, the health minister had said that some 50 samples were selected to be sent to CARPHA for sequencing. At that time he noted that authorities were able to select samples from the period after December 28, 2021 as a significant increase in cases were seen.
In early February, Dr. Anthony stated that samples were ready to be shipped but arrangements had to be made and as such they weren’t sent. He noted that a decision was later made to send samples to two different agencies for sequencing. Some of the samples will be sent to CARPHA while other would be sent to the Pan American Health Organization in Panama.
