Ministry of Health's Virtual Media Conference On COVID-19 - Saturday January 29th 2022

Key Points From The Ministry of Health's Virtual Media Conference On COVID-19 - Saturday January 29th 2022

Director of the Epidemiology Division at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Avery Hinds, says the rolling average of COVID-19 cases has increased in the latter half of January. However, he projected that Week 4 of 2022 will have fewer cases than Week 3. He also projected that January 2022 will end with 1,000 less cases than December 2021. Dr. Hinds reminded that there is a more transmissible variant in the population and urged people to follow the health protocols.

When asked about what seemed to be a decrease in COVID-19 deaths, Dr. Hinds said officials cannot yet give a definitive reason for this but he said the “most likely” reason may be due to the Omicron variant which does not affect people as severely as the Delta variant.

CEO of the North Central Regional Health Authority, Davlin Thomas, noted that the Larry Gomes Stadium Drive-Thru and Walk-In Vaccination Site has seen some increase in the past few days.

Mr. Thomas said 359,400 doses of the various COVID-19 vaccines have been administered at the various NCRHA sites. Workers from Angostura, Pennywise, Courts, and Massy Stores were among those receiving vaccines at NCRHA sites.

Staff vaccination at NCRHA facilities has climbed from 48% to 81%.

The NCRHA has also launched a COVID-19 Drive-Thru Screening at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, where a clinician performs a rapid, focused, in-vehicle assessment and provides health care/advice, and medication. This screening is by appointment only via the NCRHA’s Preview Checkup App.

Medical Director of the Arima General Hospital, Dr. Ravi Lala, spoke about Long COVID at today's Media Conference. This is when a patient feels the effects of Covid-19 that continue for weeks or months beyond the initial illness. Symptoms of Long COVID can include:
 Fatigue
 Shortness Of Breath
 Difficulty Sleeping
 Anxiety And Depression
 Heart Palpitations
 Chest Tightness Or Pain
 Joint Or Muscle Pain
 Not Being Able To Think Straight Or Focus (‘Brain Fog’)
 Change To Your Sense Of Smell/Taste
 Persistent Cough

The Arima General Hospital has established a Clinic to deal with patients experiencing Long Covid. The process includes patients having a Specialised Referral after which there is a Pre-Visit Screening where a phone call, prior to clinic visit, is made to help understand the patient ahead of time.