No new COVID variant detected in Guyana – Health Minister

…debunks rumours of new cases, says no need to panic

Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony has denied the emergence of any new COVID-19 variant in Guyana, urging the public to remain calm and avoid spreading misinformation. This response follows a social media post alleging a confirmed COVID-19 case at the West Demerara Regional Hospital.
In an interview with this publication, Dr. Anthony explained that while a new COVID-19 variant known as NB.1.8.1 has been identified in parts of Asia and the United States, it has not been detected in Guyana.
However, in keeping with global trends and out of an abundance of caution, medical institutions in Guyana have been advised to remain vigilant, especially with patients presenting flu-like symptoms.
“We’ve told our hospitals to keep testing, especially when patients have flu symptoms, to catch anything early,” he said.
“So, when people come in, if they test positive for COVID, then we would then do analysis for variants. But as it is, since this year, we have been getting maybe one, two cases here and there”.
Nevertheless, a designated area has been established in West Demerara Regional Hospital adjacent to the Emergency Room to accommodate all stable COVID-positive inpatients, including prenatal mothers.
In this regard, staff on duty will be assigned to this area as needed to ensure proper care and coverage.

Cold and flu
Further, the Minister acknowledged that Guyana is currently experiencing its seasonal rise in cold and flu cases, which is typical around May and June. Common viral infections such as influenza and other respiratory viruses are being monitored at ten sentinel sites across the country.
“We’ve seen some influenza and respiratory virus cases. These aren’t typically severe and most people recover in a few days,” Dr. Anthony explained.
“So, there are many different – there are other viral infections that circulate around this time. Among the things that we see is influenza. And we have ten sites where we are monitoring for the influenza virus. So, that’s one. And we have been seeing cases of influenza.”
Status of vaccination and testing
While COVID-19 vaccinations have slowed due to decreased demand, Dr. Anthony confirmed that testing continues. Vaccination campaigns could resume if there’s a rise in hospitalizations or if a new strain enters the country.
“We stopped bringing in the latest vaccines like Pfizer for new variants because we haven’t needed them. But if things change, we’ll adapt… Because depending on the strains, they sometimes make, like the Pfizer vaccine, to coincide with the newer strains. So, we don’t have that. And we didn’t bring those in because we’re not seeing the cases. But if it is that we find this particular variant that is now circulating, and if we’re seeing an increase in hospitalization, well then, maybe we’ll do that. But at this point, there’s no need for any panic,” he assured.
Guyana recorded its first COVID-19 case in March 2020 – that of a 52-year-old woman who had travelled from New York. The woman died at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) while receiving treatment.
Just three days later, three additional positive cases were detected.
Meanwhile, in October 2022, an analysis of Guyana’s coronavirus numbers showed that 31,329 persons contracted the virus for the year.
It was reported that January 2022 saw the highest spike, at 19,900 cases. By February, the number dropped to 2570 cases. The following months showed 379 in March; 267 in April; 1686 in May; 2715 in June; 2456 in July; 1032 in August; 287 in September and 37 for October.
As of March 2023, the country had recorded a total of 73,114 Covid cases with over 1000 deaths.
Symptoms of the coronavirus include fever, cough, tiredness, diarrhoea, pains, sore throat and loss of taste or smell. The more serious symptoms are difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, chest pain and loss of speech or movement.