Smoking, obesity contributing factors of COVID-19 – CMO

Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud has released more data on the COVID-19 pandemic here in Guyana, with smoking and obesity now being listed as contributing factors to the virus.

In a recent Zoom engagement, he stated that underlying conditions have been detected in the most severe cases, amounting to some 34 per cent. This includes a range of medical complications which are prevalent in Guyana.
He stated that there is also a visible link of contraction after being exposed to an infected person.
“Underlying conditions seem to be driving the more severe forms of COVID-19 effects on persons’ health. About 74 per cent of the contacts were the confirmed cases so there seem to be a direct link between coming in contact with a case and developing the infection yourself. Underlying conditions were detected in about 34 per cent of all those persons,” the CMO said.
He added, “Heading the list is hypertension, diabetes, heart diseases, lung diseases and interestingly, smoking and obsesity were also contributing factors, especially when we looked at those persons who had more severe forms of the disease and even the ones who died.”
Guyana has jumped the 100-mark for confirmed cases and over 56 persons in the health sector faced complications and were later placed under observation. Dr Persaud assured that persons coming from the oil industry have been quarantined before clearance is given to work.
“The health workers affected are totalling about 56. There might be a few more that we are looking at with the Lethem situation evolving. We have a few persons there under observation. We have some migrant worker, especially in the oil and gas industry who are coming in and quarantined at various points before they can be let into the regular society as it were.”
Data from the Public Health Ministry suggests that over 35 per cent of Guyana’s COVID-19 cases were asymptomatic. They had no typical signs or symptoms such as fever, cough and shortness of breath.
On another note, the CMO acknowledged that many Guyanese are still stranded in foreign territories across the world. While Government had denied calls from these persons to be transported back home, the CMO said they are presently working out procedures.
“We still have a lot of persons stranded out there who might need to come back home. And how we will deal with them, we have set out some procedures.”
Last month, Head of the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF), caretaker Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo told Guyanese who are stranded overseas to stay put and await the reopening of Guyana’s airspace, which had been closed to incoming commercial flights since mid-March. At that time, there were thousands of Guyanese overseas who had made requests to return home.
With private health institutions given the green light to conduct testing, 11 test results have returned and one was negative.