By Navendra Seoraj
THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that about five per cent of the persons who contract the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) will need intensive care and while this figure seems miniscule, Guyana is taking no chances and will soon establish an Infectious Diseases Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at health facilities in every region.

Locally, authorities have recorded over 1,459 cases of the dreaded disease. And, there is a possibility that over 70 infected persons (five per cent) would need intensive care. The country has already lost 46 persons to the disease and there are 16 persons in the lone COVID-19 ICU, at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

GPHC, in addition to providing intensive care and treatment to COVID-19 patients, also manages other routine ailments. And, given that cases were recorded in every region across the country, there were also times when persons had to travel to GPHC for treatment.
In recognising the burden being placed on people, GPHC and the need for intensive care, government has committed to retrofitting health facilities in various regions, so that they could administer care to patients who develop the severe forms of COVID-19.
Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, has said that regional hospitals were already assessed, so the individual capacities are known. Authorities, during the assessment, found the need for more beds, in some cases, and recognised the demand for ICUs at various health facilities.
“We want to have infectious diseases ICUs in each region… we are already looking to get the basic set of equipment… we have started procurement,” said Dr. Anthony during a virtual press briefing on Friday.

The minister said the aim is to establish those units and have them equipped within a matter of weeks.
Even as authorities move to establish those facilities, they have been simultaneously addressing shortfalls at GPHC. The hospital’s COVID-19 ICU, while being equipped with 12 beds, had just four ventilators, but Dr. Anthony has since confirmed that a ventilator was placed at every bed.
Through funding from the Indian Government, local authorities were able to procure 29 ventilators. Some of those ventilators were used to fill the void at GPHC.

BOOST
Guyana’s capacity to isolate and quarantine COVID-19 patients was also boosted recently, when the Health Ministry activated the $1.6 billion infectious diseases hospital by transferring patients from GPHC to the new facility.
The Guyana Chronicle was reliably informed that six COVID-19 patients from GPHC’s Maternity Unit were transferred to the new facility, which is located at the site of the former Ocean View Hotel.

A critical element in the fight against COVID-19 has been isolation and quarantining facilities, and before the activation of the new facility, GPHC and the Diamond Hospital have been bearing the brunt, in this regard.

Currently, the new infectious diseases hospital only caters for patients with mild symptoms, but Minister Anthony had said there are plans to establish an ICU there to treat with patients who are seriously ill.

Dr. Anthony foresees an ICU facility being established at the new hospital within a month’s time, given the magnitude of work to be done. In the interim, most patients are expected to be transferred from GPHC’s “transition ward”- the ward housing patients who show only the mild symptoms of COVID-19.
According to WHO, the most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Other symptoms that are less common and may affect some patients include aches and pains, nasal congestion, headache, conjunctivitis, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell or a rash on skin or discoloration of fingers or toes.

These symptoms, WHO said, are usually mild and progress gradually. Some people become infected but only have very mild symptoms.
And, although 80 per cent of the persons who contract COVID-19 recover from the disease without needing treatment at a hospital, around one in every five person who gets this disease becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing.

Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart and lung problems, diabetes, or cancer, are at higher risk of developing serious illness.  However, anyone can contract COVID-19 and become seriously ill.
If you have symptoms of COVID-19 or any concerns about which you need information, please contact the COVID-19 Hotline numbers – 231-1166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 – or visit the Ministry of Health’s website at www.health.gov.gy.