Confirmed case of Coronavirus… Quarantine recommended for more than 12 family members of first victim

Mar 13, 2020 News

– self-isolation recommended as test kits dwindle

In keeping with safeguards to prevent an outbreak, more than a dozen family members of Guyana’s first novel coronavirus [COVID-19] victim are said to have been quarantined.
Confirming this state of affairs, yesterday, was Public Relations and Health Promotion Officer within the Ministry of Public Health, Mr. Terrence Esseboom.

Porters at the GPHC sport full protective gear to help protect themselves from the coronavirus

Esseboom revealed that officials from both the Public Health Ministry and the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation [GPHC] were slated to visit the victim’s quarantined family members yesterday.
Fifty-two-year-old Ratna Baboolall, who reportedly arrived at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport from New York on Saturday, was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation on Tuesday from a Good Hope, East Coast Demerara residence with pneumonia-like symptoms.
Pneumonia or difficulty breathing is one of the symptoms associated with the coronavirus. The virus can also manifest with symptoms including a runny nose, sore throat, cough and fever.
There are reports that suggest that some family members of the dead coronavirus victim have not been strictly adhering to the rules of quarantine. In fact, this publication has heard reports that in wake of the woman’s death a close relative, also residing in the US, has been making plans to travel to Guyana.
This development, a public health official told this publication, should be avoided at all cost since “that relative needs to be quarantined just like the others here…The US is a high risk country and we need to stop travel from there.”
A number of health workers who attended to the dead woman have reportedly been quarantined which could severely impact the local health sector’s response.
According to the public health official, while it would not be wise for the country to delve into panic mode, it is imperative that those infected do not put others at risk by failing to accept the importance of being isolated.
Upon the heels of confirmation of a coronavirus case here, a number of persons have been flocking to pharmacies in hopes of securing protective cares, masks, sanitizers and other items to aid hygienic practices.
The World Health Organisation [WHO] has advised that persons choose the N95-type facemask if the need arises.
Currently, the local public health sector is running low on test kits and therefore preliminary tests of samples may not be possible.
In the meantime, the official said, the best option for persons is to stay at home once this is possible.
“Do not do public gatherings and avoid unnecessary contact with people; isolate yourself for 14 days minimum. Do not do hand-shakes and do not go to a medical institution unless you have a real reason to do so.”
The official insisted that, “prevention is always better than cure”.
Among those most vulnerable to the virus are the elderly and persons with underlying medical conditions.
Speaking about this recently was Chief Medical Officer [CMO], Dr. Shamdeo Persaud, who pointed out that, “most of the deaths were among older persons with co-morbidities or underlying conditions.”
These conditions, Dr. Persaud said, can put someone at higher risk of developing complications from the coronavirus.
Among these, he said, are “things like diabetes, lung problems, some kidney conditions, underlying cardiovascular problems, other infections that may reduce the body’s ability to respond in an immunosuppressant way, and some medications.
“Smoking has been another factor that has been considered. All these things can reduce your chance of putting up a fight against this virus…,” said the senior health official.
The novel coronavirus first emerged in Wuhan, China, during last year. The virus which has since expanded its reach to more than 50 countries has infected in excess of 100,000 persons and over 4,000 have reportedly died as a result.