THE novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has claimed the lives of two persons within the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 82.
Authorities said the recent victims are a 60-year-old man from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and a 61-year-old female from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica). Both persons died while receiving treatment at a local health facility on Wednesday.

The Ministry of Health expressed condolences to the families of these persons and pledged to make every effort to provide all the necessary support during this difficult time.
Officials of the ministry have since contacted all relatives and persons to facilitate contact tracing and rapid assistance to everyone who might have been exposed to the victims.
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 WHO had said that 81 per cent of the 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.

Health authorities have so far tested 14,082 persons, with 11,049 proving negative, and 2,894 positive. Some 48 of those cases were recorded within the past 24 hours.
While 1,680 persons have recovered from this disease, there are 1,134 active cases which include 185 persons in institutional isolation, 938 in home isolation, and 11 in the COVID-19 ICU.
Authorities have said that cases are being detected because more tests are being done. Sample taking was also increased across the country because the authorities believed that many cases were going “under the radar”.

This suspicion had prompted the authorities to distribute more sample kits across the country, especially to regions where the infection rate is high. Most of the cases have so far been recorded in Regions One (Barima-Waini), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).
“We are sending out more kits, so there will be an increase in sample collection…. the testing itself has components; one is sample collection, and then there is the processing of samples,” said Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony in a recent report.

The actual testing will be done centrally at the National Reference Laboratory, because regional facilities lack the capacity and technical skills needed to get it done. While the government hopes to improve capacity in those regions, the immediate need for sample-testing takes precedence, especially with the high number of asymptomatic cases.
Persons were encouraged to take extra precautions because there is no approved cure or specific treatment for the disease. Guyanese were also reminded to observe the protocols established in the COVID-19 emergency measures.