Covid19 patients being moved

The Ministry of Health is ramping-up the movement of covid19 patients from the Couva District Hospital, with Chief Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasram saying this is being done since the majority of them are now symptom-free. He added that they were ambulatory (not bedridden), “doing very well” and will soon be transferred elsewhere.

He did not disclose where they would be taken but indicated that their movement to other facilities could have begun as early as Friday. “Later today, (Friday) we will actually be moving out our first cohort of those people to another facility, with the help of the Defence Force. So, at least 17 of those persons will be moved later this afternoon.”

TT had 98 confirmed cases as of Friday afternoon. Parasram said of the 90 hospitalised patients, one is at the Scarborough General Hospital, nine are at the Caura Hospital and 80 are at the Couva District Hospital. On the patients at Couva, he said 65 are ambulatory and “doing very well.”

But two are in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) – one is on a ventilator – and 13 are in the high-dependency unit. He said as more patients become asymptomatic (showing no symptoms), they will continue to be moved over the next few days.

But a patient being asymptomatic does not mean they no longer have the virus. He said these patients will be re-tested until the test yields a negative result, and they will be discharged.

On Thursday, the global confirmed cases of the virus surpassed a million, which Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh described as a grim milestone. “That tells you how fast this thing is evolving around the world. But he urged the public that despite this, it is not a time to lose hope.

He also likened TT’s battle with the virus to a marathon and that the country is in “the first few miles. Are we on mile 15? I don’t know. But I do know what we have to do is make sure when we hit mile 26.2, that the virus doesn’t pip us at the tape and the only way we can do that is if people can stay home.”

Asked if any children have tested positive for the virus in TT so far, Dr Parasram said yes but did not give a figure. He said the majority of TT’s current covid19 cases are people aged 50 and up. But he added that the Health Ministry is maintaining focus on the elderly as they are a vulnerable group.