Guyana is not running out of kits to test for the novel coronavirus disease, according to Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) resident representative Dr William Adu-Krow, who says some 7.000 more are expected.
This was disclosed on Friday during a virtual press conference, where he noted that initially there were about 2,000 test kits in the country.
Adu-Krow said PAHO will continue to support the Public Health Ministry’s response to COVID-19 by providing the necessary supplies to conduct testing in order to ensure that everyone that needs to be tested is tested. He added that the ministry has already agreed to hand over testing kits to some of the private hospitals, if they agree to follow the guidelines outlined by PAHO/WHO.
Additionally, he reiterated that PAHO provided training for professionals at the National Public Health Reference Laboratory to conduct testing for the virus and as a result the organisation is prepared to train other laboratory professionals in order to have the same quality assurance in relation to lab testing and delivery of results.
He mentioned that PAHO’s mandate is to support the country and Ministry of Health and in extension health institutions and also that PAHO is willing to extend assistance to private hospitals as they were recently given the greenlight to conduct testing for COVID-19.
Just over a week ago, Moses Nagamootoo, Chairman of the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF), announced that the government has granted permission to private health facilities to conduct testing for the novel coronavirus and to treat confirmed cases.
Meanwhile, reiterating the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines on testing, he said those persons who are suspected cases and should be tested are those who exhibit acute respiratory illness (ARI) along with fever, coughs, and shortness of breath and with a history of travel to a country with community spread. He also mentioned persons with ARI who were in contact with a confirmed or probable case or persons with ARI that require hospitalization minus anything that can explain the condition.
According to Adu-Krow, there is nothing like an optimal testing rate for the virus as he noted that the testing rate in Guyana currently stands at about 20% or 25%, which is the global rate. “If you open it up too wide, you will be testing 1,000 people and getting 20 [positive results]; that means that you are wasting the test kits. On the other hand, if you are too rigid, you’ll be testing 10 and 8 of them will be positive and then you are missing a lot,” he said, while adding that if health authorities abide by the guidelines set up, they will actually stay within the rate of testing for the virus. However, he suggested that there may be need to widen the rate of testing a bit.
On that note, the PAHO representative mentioned that the recent proposal for the of the pulling of funds from the WHO by the United States government could have an effect on the way PAHO/WHO carries out assistance works to other countries.
