Two suspected cases being investigated
THE Ministry of Health has intensified its surveillance for influenza-like cases in an effort to ensure an early diagnosis of the H1N1 virus in Guyana.

This exercise has detected two suspected cases which are related to travel experience, according to a press release from the ministry.

Both cases were detected at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre on the East Bank of Demerara, and blood samples from the two persons have been drawn and being sent overseas for further tests.

There is no confirmation at this time that the two cases are H1N1positive, but they represent part of the ministry’s heightened Suspicion Index for the disease.

In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, said that given the fact that H1N1 is in the Caribbean with cases in Trinidad, Barbados and Jamaica, “it means that it has come closer home.”

He recalled, “Months ago, when I first addressed this issue, I said clearly that Guyana should not think that H1N1 will not come , that it is inevitable, it will come.”

Ramsammy noted, “It is about delaying it for as long as possible. The way this thing is spread means that we will not be able to totally avoid it ever coming to Guyana.”

He recalled that in the case of SARS, a few years ago, Guyana closed its borders to some countries. He pointed out, “The problem with H1N1 is it is in too many countries, so which one do we stop.”

He added, “We cannot stop our citizens from going for business or whatever and we cannot stop others from coming because that will close our economy off.”

The minister insisted that Guyana has to be diligent in its vigilance at the airports, seas ports and land borders.

He also stated that in spite of the health declaration that every airline and ship must produce it is possible that people can get through and spread it within a country.

“Once it appears once, it will spread in the country as other countries have experienced, so the vigilance must extend beyond the borders,” he stated.

“It must also extend within our health facilities both public and private and that is what is happening right now,” he reassured.

To this end, he disclosed, “We have a daily surveillance. Every doctor in this country, every health care provider in the public sector, or in the private sector, must report to us all cases of influenza-like symptoms.

He went on, “It is based on that ‘Index of Suspicion’ that we have identified two persons who deserve testing for H1N1.”

“On the ‘Index of Suspicion’, they have heightened our interest because both of them not only have influenza-like symptoms, but they have traveled to places where H1N1 has been found,” he pointed out.

However, he stressed, “It is highly possible that upon testing, they would prove to be negative.”

“They are both fine right now but we are not going to take chances,” the Health Minister maintained.

“Once they appear on our ‘Index of Suspicion’, we will follow them through and that is what we are doing now. We are testing them, we have advised the families so that people can take the necessary precaution and so on,” he revealed.

He urged, “I do not want Guyanese to start panicking.”

While there have been calls to the Ministry of Health regarding cases of the H1N1 virus in Berbice, the ministry’s stringent surveillance system has failed to identify these.

“Early this morning I got calls from some reporters that they have heard that we have a case at the Skeldon Hospital. I have checked with the Skeldon Hospital and there is no such case,” he said.

The Health Minister cautions persons against unnecessary worrying while assuring that his ministry is keeping a close watch on the movement of the disease and continues to do everything in its power to delay the appearance of the H1N1 virus in Guyana.

He advised that persons should do simple things such as covering one’s face when coughing; moving away from persons coughing if they are coughing in a way that leaves you exposed; washing hands all the time; people who have to go to work should get a hand sanitizer; reduce the habit of shaking hands, hugging and kissing strangers; and practice good hygiene.

“If it happens that there are outbreaks in Guyana, the hospitals are prepared and we have our management plan and enough tamiflu drugs to take care of , both from local production and what we obtained through PAHO/WHO,” he reassured.

He said last week, the ministry received 2500 units of tamiflu from PAHO/WHO and Guyana has 10,000 doses of tamiflu from local production.

The ministry said it would continue to test persons who meet the criteria for the suspicion index, who have history of illnesses, and those who have traveled to countries where the H1N1 virus was detected.