More coronavirus test kits on the way as Education Ministry shuts schools
-Guyana/Suriname ferry service halted
With one case of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) having been confirmed in Guyana, more test kits are on the way even as the Ministry of Education (MoE) has ordered schools shut for two weeks from Monday as a precautionary measure.
Pan American Health Organization/ World Health Organization (PAHO/ WHO) representative Dr William AduKrow told Stabroek News yesterday that preparations are being ramped up by the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) and PAHO/WHO. He said before the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed here, the MOPH, in collaboration with PAHO/ WHO, had been preparing for when the global pandemic made its way to this country.
Once it became evident that the disease had made its way to the Americas, a virologist was deployed to Guyana to assist health officials with the necessary preparations. After setting up the testing laboratory at the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), he made his way to Guyana and set up testing facilities at the National Reference Laboratory in Georgetown.
Basically, Adu-Krow said, Guyana has the same testing capabilities as CARPHA.
However, unlike CARPHA, Guyana has a limited supply of test kits. Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Karen Gordon has stated that there are only 20 testing kits available in the country at this time.
Adu-Krow disclosed yesterday that the WHO is shipping more testing kits, which should arrive in the country on Monday. During an interview on Kaieteur Radio yesterday, Gordon revealed that number to be about 600 testing kits. Adu-Krow added that he has also requested more protective gear for health officials.
Yesterday, the Ministry of Education (MoE) also announced that schools will be closed for two weeks. Hours after the ministry distributed a statement saying that public schools will remain open, it issued an advisory stating that all public schools will be closed with effect from March 16, for two weeks as a precautionary measure against COVID-19. Private schools across Georgetown including Anais Private School, Marian Academy and School of the Nations, have also adopted that measure.
Adu-Krow said that the MoE had contacted him to ask for recommendations and a report would be sent by this morning,
Meanwhile, Suriname has closed all ports of entry, including from Guyana. The management of the Guyana/Suriname Ferry Service issued an advisory yesterday stating that operations will be suspended today until further notice after Suriname recorded its first case of COVID-19. The police also ordered the backtrack route to be closed yesterday as a result of the coronavirus, operator Faiz Mursaline said.
Test
In his interview with Stabroek News, Adu-Krow noted that persons meeting the criteria for COVID-19 testing will first be tested for influenza and the common cold and if both tests come back negative, they will then proceed to test for the disease.
“So many people want to be tested but everybody can’t be tested so to be tested a person must have either a fever, shortness of breath or respiratory symptoms and they must have been in contact with somebody who has the disease or must have come from a place where there is widespread [cases] of the disease,” he said.
The PAHO official emphasised that if 100 persons are diagnosed with COVID19, there is a chance that 80 of those persons will only suffer from mild symptoms and the remaining number can either be seriously ill while 5-10% can be critically ill. Only those persons who are critical will need the assistance of a respiratory machine.
Since the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Guyana, Adu-Krow said, additional precautionary procedures have been put in place across the country. Regional Health Officers (RHO) from regions Four, Six and Nine were asked to identify persons who will be assessing persons arriving in Guyana from countries that have numerous cases of COVID-19.
Adu-Krow said if a person is displaying symptoms of COVID-19 while in any one of the regions, that person will be isolated or quarantined in that region while someone takes a sample which will be sent to the testing facility in Georgetown. Persons from all regions are asked to call the hotline number or the local health facility if they are displaying COVID-19 symptoms. He said sample kits are currently available at health facilities in all the regions. He stressed that Guyana only has one testing facility and so going to a private hospital is not an option for person with COVID19 symptoms.
The PAHO official added that COVID19 is the only pandemic that can be controlled by basic hygiene practices. Once a person follows safety measures recommended by PAHO or WHO, he said, there is no need to worry. “If we disregard them, then we are in for trouble. If person has a cough stay away and make sure the person self-quarantine because the virus cannot travel far,” he noted.
Adu-Krow also revealed that the Ministry of Communities has deployed additional staff at all ports of entry. He disclosed that they have implemented the use of temperature guns at the Ogle airport and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, which will be used on every single passenger who disembarks at those airports. Once a person’s temperature is above 28 degrees, they will be ordered to undergo several other procedures to determine whether they will have to be questioned further. If that person turns out to be a high potential COVID-19 carrier, they will be quarantined.
However, persons coming from countries with widespread COVID-19 cases will have to be quarantined. Cards will also be distributed to those “high-risk” persons which contains all the relevant information on COVID-19.
Meanwhile, in Region Seven, a task force was formed at Bartica in response to the COVID-19 threat. The regional task will be headed by the RHO and DRHO of Region Seven, Dr Edward Sagala and Dr Julian Clementson, respectively. Other members of the task force include Bartica Hospital Superintendent Dr Gilliam Jardine, Regional Chairman Gordon Bradford, Regional Executive Officer Kerwin Ward, among others.
According to the Regional Democratic Council’s Facebook page, the task force will be drafting strategies for public awareness and response protocols for all health facilities across the region. They are expected to visit all areas in the region to raise awareness and ensure all necessary preparations are in place to combat the disease.