ANOTHER Guyanese has succumbed because of the dreaded Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease, taking the number of lives lost, to seven.

This was confirmed by a reliable source from the Ministry of Public Health, who also said the victim was a male.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that the person succumbed on Saturday evening while receiving treatment in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Earlier in the day, on Saturday, local health authorities had said five of the COVID-19 patients were being treated in the COVID-19 ICU.

Health authorities had also said a total of 305 persons were tested so far for COVID-19, and the results showed that 242 persons were negative and 63 were positive. Nine of the infected persons have so far recovered. As a containment measure, health authorities have placed 48 persons in institutional isolation and 14 persons in quarantine.
Guyana Chronicle had reported that the COVID-19 disease has proven to be a “real killer,” especially in cases involving persons who have co-morbidities. This was according to doctors of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
At that time, Guyana had recorded six deaths due to the COVID-19 disease and while the loss of life is never pleasant, doctors had said most of the persons, who died, had co-morbidities.
In medicine, comorbidity is defined as the presence of one or more additional conditions co-occurring with a primary condition; in the countable sense of the term, a comorbidity is each additional condition.

“Most of the people who passed, have [sic] co-morbidities…some had diabetes, hypertension, asthma and one of them even had severe pneumonia, which, without COVID, can also cause death…these, coupled with the complications related to COVID-19 can be dangerous,” said Head of the Department of Internal Medicine at GPHC, Dr. Genellys Camps during an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle.

Among the persons who lost their lives to the deadly disease was local Drag Racer Deryck Jaisingh, called ‘Mad Dog.’ It was reported that Jaisingh was also being treated for malaria and reports are that he was diabetic. Guyana’s first COVID-19 victim, 52-year-old, Ratna Baboolall was also hypertensive and a diabetic. Jermaine Ifill, an emergency medical technician (EMT), who had also succumbed to the dreaded COVID-19 disease, was also being treated for pneumonia.

Two other persons who died from the disease were OSA Collins, a 78-year-old resident of New Amsterdam; and 77-year-old, Colonel, John Percy Leon Lewis.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) had said that 81 per cent of persons who contract COVID-19, will have mild symptoms while 14 per cent will have severe symptoms and five per cent will need intensive care.

The disease, however, remains a serious concern and so far government has 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.

According to WHO, COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the 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.
The 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 is spread.

“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),” the WHO has advised.