GUYANA’S COVID-19 CASES REACH 107

May 11, 2020 News

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The Ministry of Public Health has recorded seven new COVID-19 cases, taking Guyana’s total to 104. This is inclusive of 10 deaths and 35 recoveries.
So far, 914 persons have been tested with 810 of those tested returning negative.
The number of patients in the COVID-19 ICU at GPHC has risen to six.
There is just one person in institutional quarantine while 59 others remain in isolation at various facilities across Guyana.
Health officials confirmed late last week that two patients from The Palms geriatric home had contracted the virus. Both patients were from the same ward, and one of them, a 64-year-old bedridden man, succumbed two Fridays ago.
Director of Social Services, Wentworth Tanner, under whose purview the Palms operates, disclosed that 12 staffers of the geriatric home have been placed in mandatory quarantine.
About 24 other bedridden persons were also reportedly placed in quarantine.
Tanner said the Palms has since undergone a thorough sanitization exercise and there will be full screening of the caregivers before they enter the compound.
All visits to the Palms were suspended since March 30.
“So there were no outside visitors coming into the facility. Added to that, the caregivers are also instructed to wear masks and gloves on each shift. They are provided with four masks each per shift,” Tanner said.
The Director noted, nonetheless, that the incident is quite alarming given the fact that the Palms hosts about 194 in-house elderly residents.
“We hope that the Health Ministry will help bring some clarity to the situation because what is scary is that a person can be asymptomatic and have the disease yet transfer it to other persons who are vulnerable.”
Similarly, in the daily live-streamed update on Guyana’s COVID-19 situation, Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Shamdeo Persaud, stressed that testing is critical to uncover asymptomatic cases of the virus.
“As I said [before], testing is critical if we are to uncover the asymptomatic cases to assist in reducing the number of illnesses and deaths due to the severe form of the disease.”
According to the CMO, Guyana’s fatality rate stands at 10.8 percent per the population whereas the WHO Global fatality rate is 4 percent.
“Of all positive cases, children account for 5.4 percent, adults 82 percent and the elderly 12.6 percent. Even though 52 percent of our confirmed cases were males, they account for 80 percent of COVID-19 deaths in Guyana. This simply means that we must detect those in our communities showing no symptoms but require medical intervention.”
Sharing further insight into the asymptomatic cases, Dr. Persaud noted that from information provided globally, many healthy younger persons do not display the usual symptoms, even when infected.
“These persons can continue to transmit the virus to other vulnerable persons in our society by not practicing control measures such as hand hygiene, physical distancing and the using of masks.”
At the same time, Dr. Persaud continued to appeal to people to come forward if they have been in contact with a positive case or experience any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19.
“We are pleading with you to access our mobile units positioned at various points in the city as well as the COVID-19 sites on the East Coast and the East Bank Demerara. Please call the hotline for information on the location of the mobile units.”
The CMO, once again, stressed to the male population to be responsible about adhering to the curfew hours and physical distancing in order to contain the spread of COVID -19.
“I wish to reinforce that as breadwinners of the family, you put yourself at unnecessary risk and jeopardize the life and livelihood of your families by not complying with the recommended measures.”
Region Four remains the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic in Guyana. The Public Health Ministry has recorded confirmed cases in the following areas:
On the East Coast of Demerara, positive cases were reported in Atlantic Gardens, Friendship, Golden Grove, Good Hope, Lusignan, Plaisance, Strathspey, while on the East Bank of Demerara confirmed cases have been reported in Diamond, Grove, Land of Canaan, Providence and Timehri.
Several areas in Central Georgetown were also identified. These include Kitty, Sophia, Turkeyen, Liliendaal, Cummings Lodge, Alberttown and Cummingsburg, Bourda, Lamaha Park, South Ruimveldt and Thirst Park.
Globally, there are 3,855,788 confirmed cases with 265,862 deaths. In the Region of the Americas the number of confirmed cases has increased to 1,636,841 with 91,893 deaths.
The Ministry of Public Health is again calling on all citizens to heed the health advisories and observe the correct hygiene measures and precautions. Citizens are also asked to always   practice social   distancing in   the   workplace, public spaces, and while using public transportation so as reduce the spread of the coronavirus disease.

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