-health workers to be screened
-Two new cases recorded, five persons in ICU

IN ramping up its response to the deadly Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, health authorities will be introducing mobile testing units at various health centers across the country.

“As of Monday 27th April, 2020 in Georgetown, the MoPH (Ministry of Public Health) will launch its mobile units at the East La Penitence Health Centre. On the East Bank of Demerara at Herstelling; and on the East Coast of Demerara at Paradise, our COVID-19 health facilities will begin to provide services to persons along those corridors,” said Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence during a virtual update on the COVID-19 pandemic, Friday.

She explained that these operations will take place between the hours of 9:00hrs and 15:00hrs.
In addition to introducing these services at health centers, health authorities will be partnering with private institutions and supplying them with medical supplies for sample collection. Sample collection will be done on inpatients and outpatients, who may present with signs or symptoms of COVID-19.

Minister Lawrence said it is imperative to identify and equip “standalone facilities” which will be specifically outfitted for COVID-19 patients. “As part of this exercise, we will also be screening our frontline workers (health and non- health) both public and private across the ten administrative regions,” said the minister.

These measures are being established at a time when COVID-19 continues to spread all across the world and right here in Guyana. In the past 24 hours, there have been three new confirmed cases of the disease. These new cases took the national total to 73, said Minister Lawrence. She said health authorities have so far tested 410 persons, of which 337 are negative.

“Of the positive cases, five persons are in our COVID-19 ICU (Intensive Care Unit); 17 are in institutional quarantine and 54 in isolation. The deaths remain at seven,” said the minister, adding that 12 persons have so far recovered.

The epidemiology and surveillance unit has reported for the period under review, March 16 to April 24, 2020, that 793 persons have been on home quarantine. To date, 596 persons have completed the 14-day incubation period and they were cleared by the Health Emergency Operations Centre. Health authorities, however continue to monitor 197 persons.

Additionally, there are persons who have tested positive for COVID-19 that need to have other medical procedures such as pregnant mothers who needs to deliver, persons needing emergency surgery, dialysis, Malaria and other conditions that require hospitalisation.
“At all times we must remember that COVID-19 is a highly infectious disease! In light of all this, my fellow Guyanese, you need to be brave and come forward and let us help you. As these units are put in place, I urge you to make use of this opportunity; utilize our services and help us to flatten the curve and contain this disease,” said Ministry Lawrence.

One infection and even one death is one too many because seven deaths out of 73 cases represent a death rate of 9.6 percent, which is still much higher than the death rate of COVID-19 presented by the World Health Organisation (WHO, which stands at 2-4 per cent.

In expressing the seriousness of the situation, Minister Lawrence referred to a statement made by Director General of WHO, Dr. Tedros, who said: “There are worrying upward trends in Central and South America… even though the numbers are relatively low…make no mistake, we have a long way to go. This virus will be with us for a long time.”
This simply means that Guyana like the other countries globally must strengthen its response by putting medium and long-term measures in place.

Globally, there are over 2.5 million cases of COVID-19, with close to 175,000 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.

The Guyana Chronicle had reported recently that Guyana is on course to “flattening the curve” and reducing the spread of the COVID-19 disease. This was according to Resident Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) Representative, Dr. William Adu-Krow, who noted that this will only be possible if the government maintains the existing containment measures.

Locally, 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.

The measures at reference took effect from April 3, 2020, and are expected to last 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. “The measures in place are working, and individual measures are working too, but we need to ensure that government enforces the existing measures… The few persons who do not go by these measures need to comply; we need to see more improvement,” Dr. Adu-Krow said during a virtual press briefing on Friday.

REVISED PROJECTIONS
Already, there have been revised projections which show a reduction in the probable cases, but Dr. Adu-Krow said this new forecast can only be maintained if the measures that have been put in place are adhered to.

On Friday, Dr. Adu-Krow, with the aid of graphs, showed journalists how the projected cases moved from reaching 20,000 in a month to just under 1,000 in a month, with the implementation of the containment measures. If these measures were to be relaxed, however, Guyana could see about 5,000 cases in no time.
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.