…victim identified through contact tracing
The recent appeal by the Regional Health Officer for Region Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice), Dr Pansy Armstrong for persons who would have interacted with the Region’s first or second COVID-19 victim to present themselves to be tested, has yielded fruits since one of those persons have been tested positive.
The RHO disclosed that a few days ago samples were taken from ten persons and was sent to Georgetown to be tested. These persons would have come into contact with the first two victims.
She disclosed that the results returned with nine persons being negative and one positive.
Dr Armstrong said that the 40-year-old patient was taken to the Diamond Quarantine Facility last night by the RHEC. She explained that while the patient was initially reluctant to go to the facility, they were able to impress upon the patient that it is mandatory once tested positive.
“The patient had expressed reservations about going but I was able to convince him that he must go as it’s part of the new regulation and he complied. He is one of the now 73 cases in Guyana,” the RHO said
She said that the regional investigation has found that the infection thus far in Region Ten is a cluster not community spread, noting that the third victim had close relationship with the first patient who died recently. This, she stressed, was as a result of the contact tracing programme that was introduced by the Region.
She informed that the patient related he had no signs of COVID-19 and as such, her Health Officials are concerned that there may be more positive persons who are asymptomatic.
“It’s interesting to see that the patient has not demonstrated no signs and symptoms of the disease but is tested positive, which is an indication that they may be others in similar position,” Dr Armstrong noted.
Meanwhile, Regional Executive Officer (REO), Orrin Gordon reaffirmed his appeal for persons to take all required precautions warning that the infection rate will continue to climb if people are lax in their protection.
“Now that we have found that this individual had contact with the first patient it means that we would now have to circle this individual and those that he may have gotten in contact with to see if there are any others who may have been infected. This would now give us an idea of the scope of the virus in that kind of cluster environment. As all that we have so far is basically those who have been in this cluster, so we are trying to lock down the cluster and thankfully we have not had any other person outside of that cluster,” REO Gordon said.
The REO went on to state that the reality of stigma is real, noting that the patient expressed this very concern regarding his family. He said the patient agreed to be taken to Georgetown on the condition that the ambulance and authorities will not pick him up from his home but at a separate location.
“The patient was very concerned about the stigma and it’s real and didn’t want his family to suffer any stigma and or undue embarrassment, so he opted for the ambulance to pick him up somewhere else,” the REO said.
This is the third person who has been tested positive for Region Ten. On April 8th Sydney Trellis was identified as the first patient, who subsequently died and on the April 14. The second patient who is the lone female thus far was identified and is still in institutional isolation.
