By Vishani Ragobeer
There are 11 patients receiving treatment in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the National Infectious Diseases Hospital at Liliendaal, Georgetown and one of them is a 16-year-old child.
This is according to the Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, who provided an update on the patients hospitalised with the more severe symptoms of the disease during his daily COVID-19 update on Thursday.
He did not state whether the child recovered and was discharged, nor did he provide any other information on the child. He, however, noted that three other children were in the wards, where they are hospitalised.
Subsequently, the News Room was able to confirm that two children were transferred from the ICU to the transition ward of the hospital. This information was provided by the Head of Strategic Planning and Communications at Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Chelauna Providence. She also stated that the child still receiving care in the ICU is a 16-year-old patient.
And, it was related that the three children hospitalised in the transition ward of the facility, as mentioned by Dr. Anthony, are a two-year-old girl, an eight-year-old girl, and a five-year-old boy.
Meanwhile, the Health Minister said that there are a total of 57 people hospitalised in various facilities across the country after experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Of that total, 42 patients are hospitalised at the Liliendaal hospital, including the 11 in the ICU.
Another two patients are hospitalised at the West Demerara Regional Hospital in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), three at the Mahaicony hospital in Region Five (Mahaica- Berbice), five at the New Amsterdam and Skeldon hospitals in Region Six (East Berbice- Corentyne) and, two in the Linden Hospital on Region 10 (Upper Demerara- Berbice).
Earlier this month, Dr. Anthony revealed that health professionals are treating four young children who have been hospitalised after they were infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease COVID-19 and they began displaying the more severe symptoms associated with the disease. Then, he said that there were two children in the ICU.
Earlier this week, the minister said that one child had been discharged from the ICU but another child was admitted to the ICU. This, therefore, meant that two children were in the ICU this week.
When the announcement that children were hospitalised was first made, the Ministry of Health, in a statement, said that the children who were hospitalised have comorbidities.
A comorbidity, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), refers to the presence of one or more additional diseases or disorders in the same individual. For example, an individual who is affected by COVID-19 is said to have a comorbidity if that individual also has an underlying condition such as diabetes, hypertension, or asthma.
On Monday, when asked if all four children have comorbidities, the Health Minister responded in the affirmative and stated, “They have different presentations and different illnesses.”
The minister also pleaded with parents to take all necessary precautions, such as ensuring that masks are worn and that crowds are avoided to protect children.
