–DCMO appeals, as contact tracing, public cooperation key to slowing spread of COVID-19,

IN THE last few days, Guyana has seen an exponential rise in the number of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases as well as deaths, which is believed to be caused by the nonchalant response to the virus and the lack of cooperation by citizens.
However, Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO) Dr. Karen Gordon-Boyle is of the opinion that some measure of control can be placed on the rapid spread of the virus through contact tracing.

Dr. Boyle, during an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI), explained that contact tracing is used by health departments to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

She added that contact tracing involves identifying persons who would have come into contact with someone who tested positive for the virus.
But for the process to be successful, she said, persons who would have tested positive for the virus must be cooperative with health officials in detailing their movements, and who they would have been in contact with prior to testing positive for COVID-19.

She warned that if positive cases are not forthcoming with information, the lives and well-being of many others may be at risk.
“Anything that prevents you from identifying all contacts, communicating to them their risk and isolating them means you are going to be less effective in controlling your epidemic,” Dr. Boyle said.

She further explained that once the contacts have been identified, they are quarantined, and at the end of a 14-day (two-week) period, they are tested for the virus.
While the process may appear to be simple, Dr. Boyle noted that it is not without its challenges, as the fear and sheer anxiety surrounding the virus, as well as the nonchalant and dishonest attitude of many individuals have made it difficult for the relevant health officials to do their jobs effectively.
“What we are finding is that some persons are not fully cooperating, in terms of identifying persons who they may have placed at risk,” Dr. Boyle said, “so we are unable to necessarily contact all those persons to ensure that they are quarantined.”

Additionally, the DCMO noted that many individuals have not been honest with the health officials with regards to personal- contact information such as their correct names and telephone numbers.

She said that just recently, the Ministry of Health had received a number of false contact information for individuals, which in turn saw a great deal of time, effort and energy being wasted on trying to locate those persons.

Dr. Gordon-Boyle took the opportunity to again appeal to the public to cooperate with members of the surveillance team, who are the ones reaching out for information. She reiterated that the exercise of contact tracing is uncomplicated, and plays a major role in ensuring individuals are kept safe, and those infected can no longer transmit the virus.

As of Saturday, August 22, 2020, Guyana recorded 44 new cases of the virus, spiking the number of confirmed cases to 925 since March 11, 2020, when Guyana recorded its first case, along with 31 deaths.