Dr Trotman: One patient gets drug to treat covid19

The drugs approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the treatment of covid19 has so far been used on one person in Trinidad and Tobago.

At a press conference at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s, thoracic care medical specialist Dr Michelle Trotman said, “That drug is available and I am actually very happy to report that CMO (Chief Medical Officer, Dr Rosham Parasram) has approved guidelines that has allowed us to already administer drugs to one such patient.”

She explained that the drug used, Tocilizumab, was an Interleukin 6 (IL-6) receptor blocker. It is given through the veins once to selected patients, those who are critically ill, and it was approved by WHO on July 6.

“The way it works is it acts to prevent inflammation. And that’s a key buzz word that we always hear about with covid19. That one of the bases and the mechanisms that causes injury is inflammation.”

She reminded that Remdesivir, Lopinavir/Ritonavir, Hydroxychloroquine, and Ivermectin did not receive WHO approval for covid19 treatment, and so was not authorised to be used in that manner in TT.

Trotman added that as of June 8 to Saturday morning, 341 covid-related deaths were reviewed and the preliminary results showed that none of them were fully vaccinated.

In his presentation, epidemiologist Dr Avery Hinds said there had been a slow but consistent decrease in the number of positive cases since May, although the past week had about the same number as the previous.

There were 13,085 new cases in May, 8,884 in June and 1,609 for July so far. He said at the current rate, July should have less cases than the months before.

Principal medical officer of health Dr Maryam Abdool-Richards said since April 18, there had been a consistent decrease in net hospital admissions in the parallel health care system. There had also been a trend of decreasing admissions and increasing discharges since June 6.

“The difference, or additional patients in the parallel health care system, decreased by 67 persons and that’s a very positive sign because it means that more person are being discharged, less persons are being admitted, and there is capacity in the parallel health care system to manage more severe and critically ill relatives and nationals.”

Abdool-Richards said there had been a slow decline in occupancy since May 28. As of Saturday there were 326 severe or critically ill patients in nine hospitals and 112 recovering in seven stepdown facilities.

She added that, as of Saturday morning, the occupancy rate was 42 per cent, the lowest since April.