Patient in isolation for over 72 days test positive again for COVID-19

An asymptomatic COVID-19 patient, who has been in isolation for over 72 days, has retested positive for the deadly disease and the doctors informed him that it is as a result of cross-contamination.

The 33-year-old man was tested positive in late March and has been in isolation since then.

He was retested for the disease on May 25 and the results came back negative. As such, the patient was then tested again on June 1 but the results came back positive on Thursday.

In order for him to be released, the patient would have to be tested negative twice.

The patient, who resided at Good Hope, East Coast Demerara, expressed his frustration with the situation and noted that the doctors informed him it was cross-contamination which caused him to contract the virus again.

The patient is currently at the COVID-19 hospital which is under construction and is sharing the same space with eight other patients – three of whom also retested positive.

All nine patients were placed in one open flat with beds separated by approximately eight feet.

The asymptomatic patient was first at the West Demerara Regional Hospital and was then moved to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre and moved again to where he now is at the Ocean View Hotel.

But he was told Thursday that he will have to return to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre.

COVID-19 patients at the Diamond Isolation Unit recently raised concerns about the deplorable conditions they are forced to endure there.

He is not pleased with returning to Diamond and has become more frustrated since he is unable to provide for his wife and children – one of whom has to sit NGSA exams in July.

He has to depend on relatives to provide for his wife and children.

He worked as a fisherman and also made furniture to provide for his family.

The patient is among the first set of COVID-19 cases recorded in March.