– as cases continue to climb

By Navendra Seoraj

THERE continues to be a steady rise in the number of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, especially in hinterland regions like Region One (Barima-Waini), which has been confirmed as the new epicentere for the disease.

The number of confirmed cases in Region One recently surpassed those in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), said Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO), Dr. Karen Boyle, during a virtual COVID-19 update on Monday.

“We wish to inform you that Region One is now the epicentre, and accounts for most of the new cases that have been confirmed over the past two weeks,” the DCMO lamented.

The region has so far recorded 93 positive cases, but 33 of those persons have already recovered from the disease. The remaining patients are in institutional isolation.
This reality has, however, not changed the attitude of some residents of Region One, said Dr. Boyle, as some residents in the Moruca sub-district have been averse to the “basket” of health measures which have been outlined by health authorities.

“They are blatantly flouting the guidelines, claiming in some instances that COVID-19 is non-existent, and therefore there is no need for a lock-down in that district,” she lamented, adding that had it not been for the help of “whistleblowers”, the health authorities would not have been able to detect cases in the area.
The “whistleblowers” are also helping the authorities to identify “strangers” from high-risk areas who may be trying to sneak into communities in Region One, without the necessary documentation.

“Friends, we need to appreciate their efforts; they are trying to mitigate the spread of the disease in the community.
“Please appreciate that the hinterland poses a unique challenge to contact tracing, in that addresses rarely consist of a lot number and street, and as such it is very difficult to locate someone who does not want to be found. Hence, we must work hand-in-hand with the hinterland communities relying heavily on them to help identify cases, known contacts of cases and potential cases who may have entered the country not observing our mandatory quarantine rules,” Dr. Boyle advised.
She encouraged persons to report others who may “be of interest” to health authorities, by calling the COVID-19 hotline. These “little” actions will help health authorities protect residents and their loved ones from the deadly COVID-19.

It is also imperative for this initiative to be replicated on a national level, because cases are climbing rapidly, with the latest statistics showing that the country recorded three new cases in 24 hours.

Dr. Boyle said health authorities found those cases after conducting 78 COVID-19 tests between Sunday and Monday.
The authorities have so far tested 3,330 persons, with 3,030 being negative and 300 testing positive for COVID-19. Some 155 persons have, however, recovered so far, and 17 persons have died, but authorities are still monitoring 128 active cases of the disease. Five of those cases are being treated in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
“It must be noted that our number of positive cases is still on the increase and that we now have nine out of 10 regions with COVID-19 cases, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) being the newest region to report cases,” said Dr. Boyle.

Residents of Region Eight were urged to be vigilant, especially if they are in mining areas and bordering communities.
Despite the consistent rise in cases, Guyanese are still taking the disease lightly, and this is proven by the findings of a survey conducted by the Ministry of Public Health in collaboration with UNICEF.

The two main results of the survey were that the level of fear of becoming infected with COVID-19 has decreased from 81.6 per cent to 53.5 per cent; and that 30 per cent of the respondents reported their unwillingness to give up their daily practice and adhere to guidelines provided.

“I wish to emphasise that the decline in your fear factor may be as a result of your tiring from the constant messages concerning COVID-19. Nonetheless, I wish you to recognise that our cases are still on the increase, and that we all are susceptible. COVID-19 is a ‘smart Alec’, according to our Guyanese parlance, so the best approach is not to behave as the 30 per cent of those persons in the survey who are unwilling to give up their free lifestyle; rather, let us try to avoid being infected, and to safeguard ourselves from the potential damage that COVID-19 can cause,” Dr. Boyle advised.

COVID-19 remains a serious issue not just here in Guyana, but globally as well, and according to global statistics, there are 12.5 million cases of COVID-19, with over 561,000 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 preventive measures to contain the spread of the disease.

CAPTION: Use file photo of: Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Karen Boyle