Active COVID cases skyrocket to 854 with 106 new infections

Less than one month ago, Guyana’s active coronavirus infections were numbered at just over 100. That number has now made a steep jump to 850, and health authorities continue to suspect the circulation of the BA.2 strain of Omicron is responsible.
Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony on Thursday cautioned that cases would continue to rise amid the more infectious subvariant, especially if the COVID-19 measures are not adhered to.
“Omicron has different strains. The one that is circulating widely is called the BA.2, and there is a subvariant that is circulating. That variant is very, very infectious, so people can get infected if they are in close proximity to somebody, especially if they’re not wearing masks. So, you can get infected easily. We believe that the variant is now circulating here, and with that circulating, we are going to see an increase in cases,” he relayed.
Moreover, the symptoms can easily mimic the common flu. “If persons have developed such symptoms, they are asked to get tested. One caveat with this strain is that people who get infected would get symptoms like the flu. You get more upper respiratory symptoms, things like runny nose, sneezing, a little bit of sore throat, and that sort of thing. Many people who may be positive, if they don’t come and get tested, we would not know whether or not they’re positive,” he said.
With the rise in COVID cases, 27 persons are hospitalised with complications. At the Infectious Diseases Hospital, 17 persons are being monitored, three of whom are in the Intensive Care Unit.
On Thursday, 106 new infections were reported, but the death toll remains at 1237. There are 65,075 confirmed cases.
Some 24 persons are in institutional isolation, 816 are in home isolation, and two are in institutional quarantine. A total of 62,995 recoveries have been recorded.
Meanwhile, 13 new cases have been reported in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); nine in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); 65 in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); two in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); seven in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); three in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni); five in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and two in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

Vaccination
Adult vaccination numbers reflect 442,278 first doses being administered along with 341,890 second doses. This is 86.2 per cent and 66.6 per cent respectively. For persons 12-to-17, complete immunisation coverage is 25,436 or 34.9 per cent. Only 65,607 booster doses have been administered.
As at Wednesday, the second booster shots were introduced for adults, as well as the first booster shots for the adolescent age group. Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony has called upon people to take advantage of the opportunity to protect themselves, as waning immunity can make them vulnerable to COVID-19.
“We’re appealing to persons who are older, persons who have comorbidities, for them to come and get that second dose. In addition to that, for the 12-to-17 age group, we have authorised giving a booster dose for those persons who had their primary doses more than six months ago. They are now eligible for booster doses. We really want to encourage people to come out and get their booster doses, because we have seen that while people have gotten their primary doses, after about a six-month period, the immunity drops. If the immunity drops, then you would be vulnerable,” he explained.
As Guyana prepares for a rollout of vaccines in the five-to-11 age group, the Health Minister is encouraging parents to give consent for their children to be vaccinated. He has assured that these jabs have been created specifically for children, and are approved by the regulatory bodies.
“These vaccines have been specially developed for this age group, and it has been approved by all the stringent regulatory authorities in the world. They have been very difficult to come by because there is a global shortage of these types of vaccines…This has been used in many developed countries, and they have had very good results,” Dr Anthony outlined.
If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or needs any additional information, please contact the COVID-19 Hotlines: 231-1166, 226-7480, or 624-6674 immediately, or visit www.health.gov.gy.
Global figures show that 528 million people have tested positive for the virus, and 6.2 million have died. In the Americas, more than 157 million confirmed cases have been reported, with over 2.7 million deaths.