Guyana records 7th COVID-19 death

Apr 19, 2020 News

Guyana has recorded its seventh COVID-19 death. This was confirmed last night by Minister of Public Health, Ms. Volda Lawrence.
Kaieteur News understands that the victim, a man, passed away in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation yesterday. More details will be provided in a subsequent report.
This death comes at a time when the Ministry has taken note that more men are being infected with the disease. Calls are being made for persons, especially men, to adhere to measures such as social distancing and the wearing of mask in public places.
Earlier yesterday the Ministry announced that a total of 305 individuals have been tested for the novel coronavirus of which 242 came back negative. The Ministry had also revealed that there were 63 confirmed cases of the disease.
Five persons, it was revealed, had developed worsened conditions and were being treated the ICU at the relevant health institution.
There have however been nine patients who Ministry officials said have recovered.
According to its surveillance report yesterday, the confirmed cases have been spread across Regions One, Three, Four, Six and Seven. It was noted too that there are 48 individuals in the Ministry’s institutional isolation, while 14 are kept in a quarantine facility.
Globally, WHO has recorded 2,074,529 confirmed cases with 139,378 deaths. While in the Region of the Americas there are 743,607 confirmed cases with 33,028 deaths.
Calls to the local COVID-19 hotline have amounted to 2,134.
Director of the Food Policy Division at the Ministry of Public Health, Dinte Conway, said, “good nutrition keeps us healthy at any age and more importantly, during outbreaks and pandemics such as the novel coronavirus.”
Appearing on the Ministry of Public Health’s daily update, Conway noted, that “there are foods we consume daily with micro-nutrients such as essential vitamins and minerals that help to build our immune systems”.
These include foods rich in Vitamin A such as eggs, cheese, oily fish like sardines and mackerel, whole grains and beans, nuts and local flour. Vitamin A maintains the structure of the cells in the skin, respiratory tract and gut, she said.
Vitamins B6, B9 and B12, she added, contribute to the body’s first response mechanism once a pathogen (virus) has been detected. Common foods with vitamins B6, B9, B12 are nuts, green leafy vegetables (pakchoy and callaloo), any type of fruit, fish, chicken and meat, are also important to use, she added.
The Food Policy Director explained that other essential vitamins such as Vitamins C and E “help protect cells from oxidative stress”.
Some common sources of these vitamins are lime, carrots, tomatoes, guava and cherry. It was noted that one cherry has enough vitamin C for a person’s daily recommended intake without the need of any other supplement.
Foods rich in Vitamin D include eggs, fish and fortified milk, meaning Vitamin D has been added. Vitamin D can also be sourced from the sun by just spending a few moments outdoors.
Conway also outlined essential minerals and where they can be sourced. “We have the minerals, iron, zinc and selenium in Guyana. We can use legumes, whole grains, seafood, meat, chicken, nuts; all of these have essential minerals,” the noted.
Concerning the preparation of meals, she said, fresh spices can be used to reduce salt intake. “We don’t want to be consuming too much of salt, especially during this time, so we can use a lot of ginger, garlic, fresh seasonings that are available on the market,” said Conway.
She also reminded of correct portion sizes to ensure that “while we eat healthily, we maintain a balanced plate, contributing to an overall balanced diet.”
Citizens are also asked to always wear a face mask when leaving their homes and to practice social distancing in the workplace, public spaces, and while using public transportation to reduce the spread of the coronavirus disease.

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