Mask-wearing efforts – Emergency Medicine Specialist urges
– as fears of more contagious COVID variants emerge
(Graphic by Jane Cha, Jackson Laboratory)
Kaieteur News – Instead of subsiding, COVID-19 appears to have been not only increasing but steadily rolling, with scientists, quite often, deriving new theories about it. In Guyana, healthcare professionals have identified changes that suggest that there has been a mutated variation causing our people in recent months, and they are understandably concerned. Commenting on this situation in his most recent column in this newspaper, Emergency Medicine Specialist, Dr. Zulfikar Bux, reported that scientists have discovered that there are new variants from Brazil, United States. The Kingdom and South Africa can be up to twice easier to hold than the previous circulating strain.
This has caused the doctor to encourage members of the public to double their efforts to wear a mask.
He warned, “The virus can still enter your body if you wear a mask and expose your nostrils or if your mask is loose fitting.” He warned, “Make sure your mask fits tightly and your nose and mouth are properly covered. ”
Emergency Medicine Specialist, Dr. Zulfikar Bux.
Some experts, says Dr. Bux, even recommended that “a regular cloth mask be fitted over the regular masks worn for a tighter fit and greater protection. Any place you leave around your mask is a potential space for the virus to enter or escape if you are infected. “
Guyana has been recording, on average, 100 new cases a day with deaths almost daily. The local death toll, up to yesterday’s press time, was 257.
“It would have to be silly not to assume that this wave of infections and deaths does not come from a newer and more lethal form of the virus,” Dr. Bux has indicated.
According to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) of Trinidad, which has been providing testing services for new variants to Caricom Member States, it has so far found cases of UK variation in several Member States.
Without naming these Member States, CARPHA noted, in an update of April 8, 2021 that “while no case of Brazilian or South African variation was found in the Region, US and other Brazilian variants of concern have find. ”
In addition, it has urged Member States to “remain vigilant and continue to enhance their surveillance capacity to screen, identify, test, quarantine, isolate and track new case contacts supported by health prevention and control measures. public. ”
Guyana is one of the Member States currently using CARPHA services which, since December 2020, has been working with the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, on genome sequencing. Genomic sequencing is a process where the virus sample taken by a diagnosed patient is analyzed and compared with other cases. Countries, CARPHA, were asked to send an allocation of 10 samples per month that meets the requirements for sequencing. CARPHA, in its update, stated that “during this critical period of the pandemic and beyond,” it will continue to provide the highest quality technical support, advice and service to help inform those who n make decisions in its Member States.
In recent months Guyana has seen more COVID-19 related cases and deaths than any other period. In light of this alarming development, Dr. Bux the need “to tighten up on previous practices if we are to avoid becoming infected with these deadly strains of the virus.”
It has therefore advised that people would be less likely to become infected if they avoided regions, as far as possible, as well as hospitals and environments, including enclosed, well-populated areas. “The more people you are exposed to, the higher your chance of coming into contact with an infected person. If you choose to interact with others in enclosed spaces, then your risk of acquiring an infection is higher, ”says Dr. Bux.
“When you’re indoors, there is no free flow of air and potential viruses will re-circulate rather than spread. So your chances of inhaling the virus will be higher compared to being outside, where virus particles are quickly spread by free-flowing air, ”he explained.
He further noted the virus, the virus can only spread when people are close enough to transmit it. As such, he asked, “The further away you are from others, the less likely you are to become infected. Avoiding overcrowded places, especially in environments where irresponsible behavior occurs, is therefore key to reducing the risk of infection. “
Places where celebrations such as parties, weddings, socializing, etc., pose higher risks for the spread of infections and should therefore be avoided, Dr. Bux. “So any time you see a concentration of people,” he said, “try to avoid it if you can and you may be avoiding the virus at the same time.”
Noting that it is better to assume that everyone is infected, until proven otherwise, Dr.’s advice. Bux to the public is “when you are out, remember this fact and limit how long you expose yourself to others … every second counts especially when you are in a high risk environment. ”