1st suspected coronavirus death recorded in Guyana

…additional tests advised for certainty

The Guyanese health care system is now in overdrive after the country evidently recorded its first coronavirus (COVID-19) death on Wednesday. The case is said to be an imported one. However, medical experts have expressed doubts about the reliability of the test used since these normally take one to two days minimum to be confirmed and in this instance, the results were supposedly confirmed in nine hours. They advised that additional tests be conducted in an abundance of caution, because of the impact for the country.

Although the authorities have not released the information about the victim, this publication understands that the dead woman has been identified as a 52-year-old woman of Good Hope, East Coast Demerara (ECD). The woman recently travelled to Guyana from Queens, New York.

President David Granger, in an address to the nation, confirmed the country’s first suspected imported case and advised of precautionary measures.
He revealed that health professionals sought to conduct tests for COVID-19 based on the patient’s travel history. A clinical sample was collected and sent at 10:00h on Wednesday to the National Reference Laboratory, where laboratory tests confirmed the diagnosis at approximately 17:00h. However, medical specialists have questioned the diagnostic approach, including the tests which were conducted to verify that this was indeed a death of COVID-19. PAHO has not commented on the death.

Lockdown
The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) Accident and Emergency Unit went into a semi-lockdown mode on Wednesday following the death of the woman. At the time, it was suspected that the woman died as a result of complications arising from pneumonia.
The woman’s family indicated that they could not confirm if the woman had any contact with anyone with the virus.

Suriname border closure
A week ago, Volda Lawrence on Wednesday called an emergency press conference to brief the media on the country’s preparations to deal with the coronavirus— which has been declared a pandemic. Lawrence, who is also the Chair of People’s National Congress (PNC), had written to Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan to cease service between Guyana and Suriname from February 29 to March 7, as a result of the alleged threat of coronavirus. However, the border was reopened just after the conclusion of the General and Regional Elections.
There were no comments about the implications of the procedures supposedly instituted at Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) to quarantine passengers that displayed symptoms of the coronavirus infection.
If you or anyone you know are experiencing symptoms of coronavirus, please call the hotline on 227-4986 ext 215 or 624-3067 and a team would be sent to your home.