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Greater precaution needed to ward off “highly transmissible” delta variant
– As Health Ministry reviews country’s travel protocol
Kaieteur News – With more infectious strains of COVID-19 posing global threat, persons are required to take greater precaution to evade possible exposure. This was underscored yesterday by Minister of Public Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, in an interview that was disseminated by the Department of Public Information.
Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony.
In that interview, the Minister shared a number of factors that could help to determine a person’s exposure to the disease. Reflecting on the early stage of the pandemic, the Minister noted that the World Health Organisation (WHO) had deemed an individual exposed to the virus if they would have spent at least 15 minutes in close proximity to an infected person.
But with the emergent of more worrying strains of the virus, the likes of delta, the Minister noted “you don’t have to wait 10 minutes in a room with somebody to be deemed exposed because this one is highly transmissible and therefore people ought to be cautious.”
Other prevailing strains of the virus are alpha, beta and gamma.
In being cautious of the variants, the Minister said that factors such as proximity to an infected person and the period spent exposed to that person must be taken into consideration. Another crucial factor he mentioned is that of proper mask usage. “All these things will have direct bearing on the probability of you contracting the variants,” he added.
Although the Ministry has only recorded 53 imported cases to date, COVID-19 concerns have been mounting. Against this backdrop, the Minister revealed that a team is currently reviewing the country’s travel protocol. This, based on the Minister’s disclosure, could see both vaccination and PCR testing becoming travel requirements. “We are reviewing our protocol and based on what the technical team advises, we will make the changes. That is something that we are currently working on. In the meantime, we continue to have the same protocols and we will be monitoring those protocols,” said the Minister.
The protocol in place requires that persons travelling to Guyana acquire a negative PCR test. “If you got it within the last 72 hours we allow you to go without the need for quarantine (but) if is within three to five days you are required to have a second PCR test done at the airport. While you wait on that test you are asked to isolate. If it comes back positive then you will be required to isolate for approximately 10 days. Once you have no signs or symptoms you will be discharged,” the Minister related.
Regarding the use of PCR test as the gold standard, the Minister said that this is being utilised by Guyana although countries like the United States are also accepting antigen tests. “For our purposes we are not accepting it (antigen tests) in Guyana, the reason being antigen is not as sensitive as PCR. If somebody is positive you can know within a shorter period of time but with antigen it takes longer, people will have to be symptomatic before you see a positive result…in most cases that is what we have observed,” said the Minister.
Meanwhile, as Guyana’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign continues, the Minister revealed that as of Sunday, a total of 242,991 persons have received their first dose. This translates to approximately 49.9 percent of the adult population and according to the Minister, “we are a little bit short of that 50 percent mark.” As it relates to the second dose, he revealed that 128,252 persons have been vaccinated and this represents approximately 26.3 percent of the adult population. A notable increase in second dose uptake is expected as more persons access the Sputnik V second doses that are now available.
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