Partying 25-year-old 'killed' granny with covid19

A MOTHER believes that her partying 25-year-old contracted covid19 and brought it home, "killing" her grandmother, said Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh.

He was speaking on Wednesday during the Health Ministry covid19 media conference.

He said while he had received some condemnation about his remarks about a young woman on a "private beach," he had received praise from a number of parents for talking to young people.

He recalled receiving an e-mail from a parent he knows who told him about her own daughter.

"Her mother died. It was subsequently found out that that 25-year-old person...went to an underground party, got infected, brought the virus home and in her words 'killed her mother.'"

County Medical Officer of Health for the St Andrew/St David district (Sangre Grande and environs) Dr Allana Quamina provided information on contact tracing and reported 158 people tested positive for covid19 from August 12 to the present.

She described a scenario in which an elderly gentleman became unwell at home.

"And his family is very large and very loving. But unfortunately 12 members of his family then went to visit him that afternoon to see how he was doing. Because of that interaction we then had an additional two or three persons who became positive when it could have been avoided."

She stressed that with the arrival of covid19 people, cannot continue with business as usual. She said families should have discussions about who will be the designated caregiver if someone becomes unwell with symptoms such as fever, body pains or diarrhoea. She said this caregiver should not be older than 60, nor have any underlying conditions such as hypertension, diabetes or asthma.

She said on the positive side there was a woman who, before she tested positive, wore a mask at work, used hand sanitiser frequently, and the day she developed symptoms, she stayed at home.

"In that instance, none of her colleagues became positive. And I raise this an example of the effectiveness of wearing masks, washing our hands and keeping our distance."

She said, however, there were cases of people who continued to go to work even though they felt unwell, and in one organisation 45 co-workers had to be quarantined owing to exposure to one case.

"As you would imagine, in your work scenario you are comfortable with your colleagues. And so we may drop our guard."

Quamina explained in that particular case masks were not worn consistently, and workers were interacting with each other in very close proximity.

She said through contact tracing it had been found there were cases where people felt mildly unwell, with a headache and a runny nose, but still headed out to work because they felt a sense of duty and did not want to burden their colleagues.

"But unfortunately, days after, they then realise that they are covid-positive and have unnecessarily exposed their co-workers."

She said some people who had been quarantined reported they had not left home, but they had had visitors. She stressed there should be no visitors to people in quarantine until they have been discharged.