-18 being monitored, as Guyana continues to guard against the disease

AS part of continued efforts to guard against the Coronavirus (COVID-19), which has plagued China and other countries across the world, 54 persons, with travel history from ‘high risk’ countries, have been screened for the virus.

The coronavirus outbreak originated in Wuhan, China in December, 2019, and has since spread to many other countries, including some in the Americas. And as a result, local authorities have been actively monitoring the ports of entry, since January 18, 2020.
According to information from the Department of Public Information (DPI), since January 18, 2020 to Friday, of the 54 persons who were screened, 51 of them arrived from mainland China or Hong Kong.

It was stated that 37 of those persons were Chinese Nationals; 12 were Guyanese – 10 Students, one tourist and a child; and one each from Finland and the United States of America. Two Ukrainians and one Singaporean travelled from Singapore through Europe to Guyana and were also cautiously screened and cleared for entry to Guyana.
“Fifty-three persons were contacted with daily telephone calls from the Ministry of Public Health. One person, the female traveller from Finland, was not contacted and on further investigation was found to have left Guyana the day after arrival for Suriname,” said DPI.
Additionally, four persons, when contacted during the process, indicated that they were not feeling well and were visited by medical teams from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and the Linden Hospital. All four persons were examined and temperature checks done. All were diagnosed with other medical conditions and cleared as suspects for COVID-19.

After careful monitoring of each visitor, 32 persons did not show signs and symptoms of the infection after the 14-day evaluation period, and were declared free of the virus. The public health authorities, however, placed 18 persons under “home monitoring,” and will keep them under close surveillance until the 14-day incubation period is over.
According to DPI, The Ministry of Public Health continues to maintain a high-level vigilance for the COVID-19 and will expand capacity to detect, diagnose and treat any suspected case of COVID-19. As part of the capacity-building exercise, GPHC has established a 14-bed unit, and the Diamond and West Demerara hospitals have also created units to isolate and manage cases of COVID-19. The Isolation areas are equipped and personal protective equipment including N95 masks, gloves and sanitisers, along with essential medicines and other supplies, are in stock.
Seven private hospitals also have the capacity to isolate suspected cases until diagnosis can be confirmed.

“In our efforts to shore up surveillance monitoring, eight additional medex have been deployed to Port Health Authorities. Training of all categories of staff has intensified and over 500 persons, inclusive of doctors, nurses, and auxiliary staff, have been trained, in an effort to heighten awareness on COVID-19…training is ongoing at Ogle, CJIA, Moleson Creek, Lethem and is currently taking place in Bartica,” said the ministry.
Immigration and customs officers have been sensitised about what to look for, and additional supplies have been dispatched to all workers at critical points.
The ministry in partnership with the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) had recently developed capacity to test locally for the Coronavirus along with testing for Influenza A and B which present similar symptoms to the COVID-19.

PAHOs virologist had trained staff of the National Reference Laboratory to do tests. Additionally, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) remains available for the testing of COVID-19. According to CARPHA, Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).
Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, coughs, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death. Some persons who recently returned to Guyana from China, were placed under “home monitoring,” but have not shown symptoms of the Coronavirus.

Since the outbreak, port health authorities at the main, official points of entry had commenced screening of all travellers from high-risk countries. Among the menu of measures put in place by the MoPH officials, was to conduct follow-up assessments via telephone calls and through daily visits over a two-week period on all persons who travelled from China to Guyana over the last month to check on their state of health.