GUYANA has lost another precious life to the dreaded Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease, moving the total number of COVID-19 related deaths to 10.
Guyana Chronicle was reliably informed that the person was not a patient of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)’s COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), but had succumbed at another facility, on Tuesday.

This publication could not confirm the name, age or gender of the patient, as efforts of contact officials of the public health ministry proved futile, but the Guyana Chronicle was reliably informed that the person was only tested after succumbing. This means that the person was not among the 92 (now 93) confirmed cases, but had shown signs or symptoms of the disease before dying.

The latest statistics from health authorities show that 680 persons have so far been tested for the disease, of which 587 were negative.

The Guyana Chronicle had reported that the COVID-19 disease has proven to be a “real killer,” especially in cases involving persons who have co-morbidities. This was according to doctors of the GPHC. At that time, Guyana had recorded six deaths due to the COVID-19 disease and while the loss of life is never pleasant, doctors had 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.

The 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.

“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 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. Forty-five-year-old, Lennox Williams, who also had underlying conditions, also died because of COVID-19. And most recently, a diabetic patient, 67-year-old, Samuel Morris, also lost his life.
Considering the local situation, Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, had said the ministry will continue to plead with all Guyanese to intensify efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 by practising social distancing, staying at home, wearing face masks and regularly and thoroughly washing hands.

The disease remains a serious concern and so far government has 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, March 16, 2020. These measures remain in effect until June 3, 2020.