For the third straight day, Guyana recorded no new cases of the coronavirus disease. According to the Ministry of Public Health, a total of 27 tests were conducted over the past 24 hours and all of those tests returned a negative result.
But the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Karen Gordon-Boyle today explained that infected persons are isolated in a medical facility while those who may have been exposed to the disease are the persons who are placed in quarantine. She made the explanation as it appears that persons are still confused about the two.
“Everyone who receives a positive test result will be placed in isolation. Persons in quarantine are those persons who were in very close contact with someone who tested positive, persons returning to Guyana, and someone who is a suspected case awaiting results to confirm his/her status. The duration of someone’s stay in isolation is not fixed; it depends on how fast the body fights off the virus”, Dr. Gordon-Boyle explained.
She also stated that all persons in isolation are cleared after having 2 negative tests 24 hours apart and once a person is cleared of the virus, they can no longer transmit it.
According to the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, “Persons who are cleared and allowed to go home are not infectious which simply means that they cannot transmit the virus to anyone else because the virus is no longer active in their body. With that, we ask that you show some compassion to your brothers and sisters who have recovered from this disease. Their journey was not an easy one and they need your support”.
The Public Health Ministry has received complaints from persons who have recovered from the virus being ostracized and pointed out in their communities.
One recovered patient recently complained that all of her neighbours have stopped talking to her and would point her out to other persons in the area, calling her the corona lady.
The Public Health Ministry said there should be no stigma and discrimination as the coronavirus has proven it does not discriminate against anyone.
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