The Caribbean on high alert for deadly Covid-19 as it circles the islands

The Caribbean region is on high alert following the confirmation of the first case of the coronavirus infection in Latin America. The health ministry in Brazil revealed on February 26 that the country had confirmed it’s the first case of Covid-19 and now there are five confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in French Guiana.
It was a man who just returned from Italy – one of the worst-hit counties in the world – that was the patient. The patient is 61 years of age.
The confirmation of the infection happens to coincide with the yearly week-long carnival usually held in Brazil. The carnival is usually a great source of attraction to tourists around the world.
The pan American Health Organization (PAHO) released a statement on Wednesday calling on countries to double up their efforts in preparing to combat and respond adequately to the outbreak of the Covid-19 since it has stepped into the American region.
PAHO projected that if preparations do not commence in time, any event of an outbreak will be significantly felt and the health care in the Caribbean and Latin America system will likely be overwhelmed.
PAHO director Carissa Etienne released a statement saying that the preparation for the importation of the Covid-19 was ongoing.
She said that prevention was the number one goal and cognizance of the peculiarities of each country must be taken in the fight against the deadly virus. The symptoms and strains may vary in a lot of individual hence detecting it early might be a problem. But when prevented it saves more lives and costs altogether.
The response according to her must be multisectoral. It must include super surveillance, an ever-ready health care service, prevention of spread and keeping essential services running are germane to bringing the transmission to the barest minimum. And lives will be saved as a result. She noted that the American countries have been working on this multifaceted approach to disease outbreaks since the pandemic influenzas of 2009. She stated PAHO ‘s commitment to supporting any country who is working on implementing those plans.
The level of surveillance in Guyana has been seriously stepped up, for instance. The country is bounded to Brazil on the south. The level of surveillance at all the entry ports is at an all-time high. Whether it is at the Lethem border or Moleson Creek Crossing connecting Guyana to Suriname or the Eugene F Correia International Airport or Cheddi Jagan International Airport the heightened level of consciousness and preventive measures is clear.
A cruise ship from Miami belonging to the MSC cruise line in Miami was blocked by Jamaica and cayman Islands due to concerns about the coronavirus. The ship had to finally go dock in Mexico. This is just one of many other examples of seemingly extreme preventive measures being taken by countries in the Caribbean region to safeguard their citizens.
Coronavirus which is believed to have originated from Wuhan in China is gradually becoming a pandemic which is proving stubborn to contain. Countries like Italy, Iran and a couple of others have been badly hit with the death toll reaching thousands of people worldwide. And the rate of infection spread does not seem to be slowing down.