-Social services director says staff being trained to swab persons

CONCERNS continue to grow at the Palms Geriatric Home, as two persons, said to be staff of the facility, have tested positive for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease over the past 24 hours.

The two new cases took the total to four confirmed cases coming out of the facility, which houses over 190 elderly persons, who are classified as high-risk for the disease.
An official of the Ministry of Public Health confirmed that two persons from the Palms were among the three new COVID-19 cases, which were recorded nationally, on Saturday.
The additional cases were confirmed just days after the COVID-19 disease claimed the life of a 64-year-old male resident of the Palms Geriatric Home.

Director of Social Services at the Ministry of Social Protection, Wentworth Tanner, had said on Thursday, that once it was found that the 64-year-old man was positive, the Health Emergency Operating Centre (HEOC) deployed a team to commence contact tracing. And, as a result, 12 persons, who were in contact with the 64-year-old man, were placed in quarantine. All 12 of the individuals were persons, who were caring for the elderly man, and did not include other residents of the facility, said Tanner.

“The gentleman, who was bedridden for a while, became ill sometime last week, however, the GPHC (Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation) was contacted and he was taken there, but before he passed on May 1, a test was administered,” said Tanner.

When asked about the new cases on Saturday, the director told this publication that he had spoken to officials of the HEOC early in the day, but there was no such information. He, however, did not deny that it could be true, and instead said the results could have been recorded later in the evening.

To the best of his knowledge, he believes that everyone in quarantine were already tested, but the results have been trickling in. Tanner, however, said the Department of Social Services does not plan to sit around and wait.

“We have already taken all measures we can take…we are working closely with HEOC and staff are receiving additional training in swabbing and decontamination,” said Tanner.
Swabbing is a sample-taking procedure, which is done on patients in order to do a Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for COVID-19.

While training in this area and the implementation of preventative measures remain important in the fight against COVID-19, Tanner said his department’s biggest challenge right now is the fact that there are persons who are asymptomatic, meaning they do not show signs and symptoms of the disease.

“So even if we screen and there are no symptoms, you could miss persons who are infected…we are doing everything we can, based on guidelines from the Ministry of Public Health…they have been providing immeasurable support,” said the director.
When asked what measures were in place prior to the initial incident, Tanner had said visitations were suspended since March 30 and all staff members are screened before they enter the facility. Workers are also mandated to wear protective gear while administering care.

As it is now, the HEOC is still conducting investigations into how the 64-year-old resident became infected, given that he was bedridden.
“The investigations are still ongoing, but we have not received any information to this effect…the priority right now is to do contract tracing and ensure that if there is anybody else, we isolate those persons and make sure the Palms is as safe as possible for residents and staff,” said Tanner.

From the inception, the World Health Organisation (WHO) had said that older persons and those with underlying medical problems, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer, are more likely to develop the serious forms of COVID-19.
Testimony to this was the death of not just the resident of the Palms, but also OSA Collins, a 78-year-old resident of New Amsterdam; 77-year-old, Colonel John Percy Leon Lewis; and a diabetic patient, 67-year-old, Samuel Morris.

Persons over the age of 65 years account for just about 6.4 per cent of the local population. And, with the Palms being a facility which houses about 190 persons, who form part of this section of the population, there is cause for concern, especially since the death of the 64-year-old resident.

With the reality being that elderly persons are indeed vulnerable to the disease, Tanner advised this section of the population to take extra precautions and practise social distancing, sanitise and eat healthy. Persons caring for the elderly were also advised to observe the necessary protocols because they interact directly with those who are vulnerable.