By Navendra Seoraj
THE Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has claimed another life in Guyana, taking the death toll to 32.
Guyana Chronicle was reliably informed that the victim was 52-year-old, Alfred Humphrey. He died while receiving treatment in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), on Wednesday.
This publication understands that Humphrey had respiratory distress, secondary to COVID-19, and was also a diabetic.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a newly-discovered coronavirus. Most people, who fall sick with COVID-19, will experience mild to moderate symptoms and recover without special treatment.

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, 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, a diabetic patient, 67-year-old, Samuel Morris, also lost his life.

As a measure safety, the Ministry of Public Health had encouraged members of the public to observe the COVID-19 Emergency Measures put in place: to practise physical distancing of at least six feet; to use a face mask correctly and consistently when leaving home, and practise good hand-washing hygiene to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Persons with symptoms of COVID-19 are asked to call the COVID-19 hotline numbers 231-1166, 226-7480 or 180/181 for assistance.