Principal medical officer: Hospital cases decline as omicron spreads

Trinidad and Tobago’s current decline in the number of covid19 patients at hospital to the rise of cases infected by the omicron variant, says the Ministry of Health principal medical officer Dr Maryam Abdool-Richards.

Speaking at Saturday's virtual press conference, Abdool-Richards said, “We now have omicron as the established variant in our population as compared to the delta variant. We also have an increase in vaccination uptake.

“Globally, the omicron variant has been noted to be less virulent but much more highly transmissible.

“So people are contracting the virus…but they are less likely to become ill and require medical attention.”

As of 8 am on Saturday, Abdool-Richards said 416 people were hospitalised which represented 47 per cent of the parallel healthcare system’s occupancy while 37 of the available 80 ICU beds (46 per cent) were occupied.

Of the 39 people waiting to be hospitalised on Saturday morning, Richards said only four were at ICU level.

“We noticed a trend of increasing hospital numbers that was confirmed on or about October 19, 2021, that was approximately 117 days ago.

“The peak occupancy occurred between December 21 and 23, and this occupancy reached 81 per cent which of course was above our critical threshold in the parallel healthcare system.

“Since then, the hospital occupancy at the A&E admissions have slowly declined. Up until today (Saturday), as I said, we are at 47 per cent.

“Despite the decrease in hospital occupancy that we have been noting, over the past 53 days or so, we must recognise that the hospitals that care for the severely and critically ill patients continue to have high occupancy.”

Abdool-Richards said most of those critically ill patients are currently at the Couva Medical and Multi Training Facility, the Augustus Long Hospital, the Arima General Hospital and the Point Fortin Hospital. She once again pleaded with people to get vaccinated.

“We continue to see a significant proportion of people who are not fully vaccinated requiring hospital care. This indeed has been a consistent trend since July 2021.

“At present, approximately 84 per cent of all people hospitalised in the parallel healthcare system are not fully vaccinated.

But while covid19 appears to be under control, Abdool-Richards said there are no current considerations to end the mask mandate and travel restrictions, as is being done in other countries like the UK.

“In many of these countries, there’s a high level of herd immunity (which means) there’s a high vaccination uptake.

“In TT we continue to be guided by the science and the advice given by the World Health Organization…which is to wear your mask properly, watch your distance and wash your hands even if you are vaccinated and boosted.”

“In TT we continue be guided by the science and the advice given by the World Health Organisation…which is to wear your mask properly, watch your distance and wash your hands even if you are vaccinated and boosted.”