Downward trend in COVID infections but older, unvaccinated persons facing hospitalisation

On Monday, Guyana recorded just seven new COVID-19 infections and within the last 24 hours, another 17 persons tested positive at public health facilities.

Although these numbers are generally believed to be an underestimation of the total positive cases in the country, Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony has called attention to what he said is a downward trend in new infections and hospitalisations.

He is convinced this is so despite some positive cases going unrecorded because of the refusal by some to test or because the examinations are being done at private facilities.

According to the Ministry of Health’s statistics, there is a total of 114 active COVID cases across the country currently.

“This can be an underestimate of how many infections in the country. A lot of people have flu-like symptoms and if they don’t test, we can’t confirm,” Dr. Anthony said Tuesday during his daily COVID-19 update.

He said the downward trend is also seen in the number of persons hospitalised, with six persons currently being monitored at Health Facilities, one of whom is in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit.

“Those coming into hospital are mostly older people with comorbidities and those not vaccinated,” Dr. Anthony added, even as he noted the occasional death from time to time.

Altogether, the total number of deaths from the pandemic has risen to 1,281 in Guyana following the death of an 88-year-old Region Four man on September 15, 2022.

“There are persons with vulnerabilities and it includes age and other illnesses and if you fall within those categories, it is advisable that you get your boosters,” Dr. Anthonny added.

He noted too that the current strain of the virus circulating has not seen those infected suffering from a severe form of the virus.