-GPHC says infected persons getting appropriate treatment

THE Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease has proven to be a “real killer,” especially in cases involving persons who have co-morbidities, said doctors of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Guyana has so far recorded six deaths due to the COVID-19 disease and while the loss of life is never pleasant, doctors have 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.
In New York, where there are close to 190,000 infected persons, it was reported that just over 86 per cent of reported COVID-19 deaths involved at least one comorbidity, according to the state’s department of health.

The Hospitalist – a medical website – reported that as of midnight on April 6, there had been 5,489 fatalities caused by COVID-19 in the state, of which 86.2 per cent or 4,732 had at least one underlying condition. Hospitalist had sourced information from the New York State Department of Health.

The leading comorbidity, seen in 55.4 per cent of all deaths, was hypertension. In New York, the rest of the 10 most common comorbidities in COVID-19 fatalities were diabetes (37.3%), hyperlipidemia (18.5%), coronary artery disease (12.4%), renal disease (11.0%), dementia (9.1%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (8.3%), cancer (8.1%), atrial fibrillation (7.1%), and heart failure (7.1%), said the New York State Department of Health.

In Guyana, as part of strengthening the systems in place to reduce the spread of the virus, the Public Health Ministry had said that alternative arrangements were created for patients who are immuno-compromised, to collect their medication without putting themselves at further risk.

These patients include persons who have Cancer, HIV, Tuberculosis, Sickle Cell and other diseases. They were also advised to take extra precautions in order to safeguard themselves.
Globally, there are over 1.8 million cases of COVID-19, with over 107,000 deaths. And, with no approved treatment or cure, there is no assurance that persons will survive after contracting the disease.

“Let me take this opportunity to remind you that there are no vaccines nor medications to address the Coronavirus disease; the medical personnel will treat you according to the symptoms you present,” said Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence in a recent update.
Emergency Medicine and Mass Casualty Specialist, GPHC, Dr. Tracey Bovell confirmed that doctors have been treating the symptoms presented by patients.

Speaking about the methods being used for treatment, Dr. Bovell said: “We are using international guidelines…we do symptomatic treatment so depending on how they [the patients] presents the symptoms, we treat them appropriately…treatment is administered according to whatever presentation whether mild, moderate or severe.”

She said medical professionals at GPHC have been utilising international guidelines and guidelines that other medical practitioners follow in other parts of the world. And, evidence has so far shown that those methods have been working.
So far, eight persons have recovered from the disease locally and a number of persons, who were in the COVID-19 ICU, have been coming out and being placed in institutional isolation for further monitoring.

Although there have been deaths, Dr. Bovell said it does not mean that the methods being used are not working, it just depends on the seriousness of the illness.
“The illness has severe forms and sometimes persons would have that severe form and would not recover, but they are getting appropriate treatment for their illness,” said the medical specialist.

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.

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.