Barbados is facing a new rise in COVID-19 infections and other respiratory illnesses, but Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George said Wednesday he has no plans to reintroduce mandatory mask-wearing.
The Ministry of Health is closely monitoring the situation, he said, urging Barbadians with underlying health issues, such as those with weakened immune systems and the elderly, to take specific precautions.
The increase in COVID cases is primarily responsible for an uptick in several other respiratory diseases across the island, the CMO explained.
“Respiratory illnesses are on the rise, respiratory type symptoms predominantly from SARS-CoV-2, which is COVID-19, influenza type A, rhinovirus and some respiratory syncytial viruses (RSV),” he revealed, adding that this tends to be the cold and flu season, which starts in November and continues into the first few months of the following year when the temperature is lower.
A doctor at a rural polyclinic told Barbados TODAY that of the 47 patients she recently swabbed from a single community, all tested positive for the coronavirus.
“Yes, COVID is on the rise,” said
Dr George. “We are particularly interested in persons, for example, where… we are investigating a cluster of this in a nursing home… We continue to monitor certain areas like nursing homes where the persons are more at risk. But there are multiple respiratory illnesses that are circulating.”
“We have seen a slight uptick in children with respiratory illnesses, and they have tested positive for an illness called respiratory syncytial virus. But it’s not surprising that this is happening, based on what historically, at this time of year, tends to be a rise in respiratory illnesses.”
But the Chief Medical Officer stressed that Barbadians will not be required to wear masks.
Dr George said: “We are not recommending mask mandates anymore. I have said before, COVID is in the rear-view mirror. But at the same time, it will be with us for an extended period of time.… and Barbadians have been told how to protect themselves. What I would say is that individuals who are elderly, immune compromised, need to take specific precautions.”
For the year so far, some 2 100 samples have been sent to the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory, with a positivity rate of 23.8 per cent for respiratory illnesses, he reported.
“This includes individuals between infants to persons in their 90s,” he added. “Pathogens that we detected are COVID, influenza A, rhinovirus, and we have seen a small uptick in children, very young children ranging from one month to two years, who were admitted to the QEH and subsequently tested for respiratory syncytial virus. We continue to monitor the situation.”
emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb
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