–figure moves to 75 overnight

THE number of confirmed Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases have moved from 74 to 75 within the last 24 hours, with the latest statistics showing that males account for 53 per cent of those cases.

That’s according to Director of Primary Healthcare Services Dr. Ertenisa Hamilton during a virtual update on the COVID-19 pandemic on Tuesday.
And whereas 15 of those who have been infected have recovered, five are still in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), while 52 are in isolation, and another 19 are in institutional quarantine. Deaths related to COVID-19 remain at eight.

Globally, there are over 2.8 million cases of COVID-19, with approximately 200,000 deaths. And with no approved treatment or cure, there is no assurance that persons will survive after contracting the disease. In the absence of approved medications, governments and authorities across the world have employed a number of preventative measures to contain the spread of the disease.

Clearly at her wits end as to why the numbers keep climbing in spite of everything that is being done here to contain the virus, Dr. Hamilton said: “As response efforts continue, a review of our data reveals that much is left to be done to flatten the curve and contain the coronavirus pandemic in Guyana. We continue to see an increase in cases on a regular basis.
“So, what more can the Ministry do to convince you that your adherence to advisories, especially physical distancing, is absolutely necessary to bring us back to normalcy; something that you and I have the power to restore?”

IMPROVED RESPONSE
In an effort to improve the response to the pandemic, the Public Health Ministry has launched its mobile unit at the East La Penitence Health Centre, as well as at the community COVID-19 facilities of Region#4 at Herstelling, on the East Bank Demerara, and at Paradise, on the East Coast Demerara.

Additionally, the government has extended its emergency measures to combat the dreaded disease, with the imposition of a 12-hour curfew on citizens. These emergency measures were taken pursuant to Paragraphs (1) and (2) (b) of the directive issued by the President, in accordance with the Public Health Ordinance, Cap. 145, and published in the Official Gazette, Legal Supplement B, on March 16, 2020.

As the country wages war against the deadly disease, President David Granger is on record as saying that the efforts of the country’s frontline workers, in particular those within the medical field, should not go unnoticed.

“I ask you… to think tenderly of our public health professionals and service providers; that is to say, our doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and all other supporting staff, medical and non-medical, who are providing the required care for those in distress,” President Granger said, adding: “Public health practitioners are on the frontline of protecting those stricken by the disease; they have been working tirelessly, through this very difficult situation, to provide quality healthcare to those who have been infected and afflicted. Everyone in the public health system has played a vital part in the fight against this disease.”

According to the WHO, COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the newly-discovered coronavirus.

The WHO said most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illnesses 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.