– patient who recovered from COVID-19 urges Guyanese to follow orders

By Navendra Seoraj
OVER 70,000 persons globally have lost their lives to the dreaded Novel Coronavirus but there are also hundreds of persons who have recovered from the disease.

Right here in Guyana, eight persons have recovered after spending over 20 days in institutional isolation, a development which has inspired some level of hope among the local population. Although there is hope, it should not drive carelessness because the disease remains serious and has different effects on different people. According to various international scientific and research organisations, the disease has a more devastating effect on persons who have underlying conditions.

Guyana has already lost five persons to the dreaded COVID-19 disease, but Suraj Babolall, the son of Guyana’s first COVID-19 victim, Ratna Babolall, believes that there is still hope for persons who contract the disease. He and two of his relatives, were among the eight persons who recovered after coming into the contact with the index patient.

Suraj and his family had returned to Guyana from the United States of America (USA) early March, but his mother developed symptoms of the disease and later succumbed at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), on March 11. Since then, Suraj and his relatives have been in isolation after testing positive for the disease.

Despite his trying experience over the past few weeks, Suraj remains optimistic than persons can pull through after contracting the disease.

In this regard, he said: “Even if you are quarantined and tested positive, it is not the end…there are a lot of people supporting you and you have a support system in Guyana…you will get through this.”

According to Global Statistics, there are 1.3 million cases with about 76,000 deaths, but approximately 292,000 persons have recovered from the disease.

The World Health Organization (WHO) had said about 80 per cent of COVID-19 cases are mild. Most involve fever, cough and perhaps shortness of breath. And, people with mild cases are expected to recover without issue, and some may not be aware they are ever sick.

Suraj and his relatives had showed little or no signs of the disease, but he told Guyana Chronicle that the period under isolation was mentally ‘stressful’ and there were moments when they felt like giving up.

“I am just glad we held it together and made it through as a family…the important thing is family…today the joy we feel cannot be explained, but for me, the most important thing is we can finally put mom to rest,” said Babolall.

His experience over the past few weeks, is one which he wants for no one. In advising persons on ways to avoid falling victim to COVID-19, he said the main thing is to follow the orders set out by the local health authorities.

In addition, he said social distancing, hand washing and cough etiquette are essential to preventing the spread of COVID-19.

On Monday, local Drag Racer, Deryck Jaisingh, called ‘Mad Dog’, 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.
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.

Jermaine Ifill, an emergency medical technician (EMT), had also succumbed to the dreaded COVID-19 disease.

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.

Government, last 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 April 3, 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.

According to 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.