By Navendra Seoraj
LOCAL Drag Racer, Deryck Jaisingh, called ‘Mad Dog’ has died from COVID-19 complications, becoming the fifth Guyanese to lose the battle against the dreaded disease.
Reports are that Jaisingh tested positive for the coronavirus a week ago and on Monday evening, he succumbed while being treated for complications in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Jaisingh was also being treated for malaria and reports are that he was diabetic. According to reports, the man’s family members are also in quarantine.

The Ministry of Public Health has since pleaded with Guyanese to take note of the effects of the disease and to intensify efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19. Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, on Monday, had noted that eight persons were in the COVID-19 ICU, with one being in a critical state. Prior to Jaisingh’s death, a male had succumbed at the COVID-19 facility at the Diamond Hospital, due to complications from the COVID-19 disease.

Additionally, OSA Collins, a 78-year-old resident of New Amsterdam, had succumbed after contracting the disease. Collins was considered an ‘imported case’ as she had recently travelled to the United States of America. Guyana had confirmed its first imported case of COVID-19 in Georgetown on Wednesday, March 11, 2020.

That patient, a 52-year-old Guyanese woman who had travelled from the United States of America to Guyana on March 5, 2020, was presented to the public health system on March 10. She died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation on March 11. Since then, three of the woman’s relatives and 27 others have tested positive for the virus.

Jermaine Ifill, an emergency medical technician (EMT) had also succumbed to the dreaded COVID-19 disease. Government, on Friday, had extended its emergency measures to combat the dreaded coronavirus with the implementation of a 12-hour curfew on citizens. These emergency measures were made pursuant to the paragraphs (1) and (2) (b) of the Direction by the President, given under the Public Health Ordinance, Cap. 145, and published in the Gazette, Legal Supplement B, 16th March 2020, government said in a notice Friday evening.

The measures took effect from the 3rd April, 2020 and will last for one month unless earlier terminated, extended or amended by notice of the Minister of Public Health, after an assessment of the prevailing public health conditions.

Speaking about the curfew, Minister Lawrence said: “The curfew was established with the aim of stopping the transmission, yet it is evident that persons do not understand the seriousness of the situation and they continue to congregate in groups. “Your co-operation is critical. I am begging you, stay at home…during the day, if you must go out ensure nose and mouth are covered…protect yourselves from these droplets that infect persons with the disease.”

The ministry, and, by extension, government, has already employed a number of measures to curb the spread of the virus. The existing efforts, such as the COVID-19 hotline will be supplemented after the ministry rolls out a self-test APP.

Through the app, persons will be able to self-test and upload their information which will go directly to the ministry’s surveillance team. Persons will then be contacted by the team if deemed necessary.

Guyana has so far recorded 31 confirmed cases of the dreaded global pandemic. Thus far, three persons, who are close relatives of the country’s first victim and who were tested positive for COVID-19, have tested negative following further tests.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. WHO said most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. Older persons and those with underlying medical problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness.

WHO believes that the best way to prevent and slow down transmission is to be well informed about the virus, the disease it causes and how it spreads.

“Protect yourself and others from infection by washing your hands or using an alcohol-based rub frequently and not touching your face. The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it’s important that you also practise respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow),” WHO advised.