Pregnant woman, new mothers infected with COVID; receiving treatment at GPHC

A pregnant woman and other women who recently gave birth have been receiving treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) after they tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony.

During his daily COVID-19 update on Thursday, Dr. Anthony said there are a total of 74 people hospitalised at various facilities after they were infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease, COVID-19. Of that number, he said there are four women in the obstetrics department of the GPHC.

Another 15 patients, including one child, are receiving critical care in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the National Infectious Diseases Hospital, at Liliendaal, Georgetown.

Dr. Anthony explained that routine COVID-19 testing is a protocol adopted when expectant women go into the hospital.

“Sometimes, we find that mothers who are ready to give birth also test positive, so we have to take extra precautions to ensure that they are okay and also to reduce spread among the (staff) and other patients within the ward.”

Contextually, every year, there are about 12,000 to 14,000 births and about 8,000 of those births occur at the GPHC. The Health Minister did not state whether the COVID-positive women had already given birth or were expected to give birth soon.

Subsequently, however, the News Room sought clarification from the Head of Strategic Planning and Communications at the GPHC, Chelauna Providence, who revealed that three women were discharged on Thursday morning; one of those women already gave birth. Meanwhile, another one of the expectant mothers is still admitted to the hospital.

Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony also said that pregnant women and women who are breastfeeding can take their COVID-19 vaccines. He also assured those women that there would be no adverse outcomes if they become vaccinated.

He, however, advised them to contact their obstetrician if they have any questions or concerns.

Already, more than 50 per cent of Guyana’s targeted adult population have received the first dose of their COVID-19 vaccines.

Providing a vaccination update, the minister said that some 244,365 people received this first dose while 129,361 people – or 26.6 per cent of the population – received both their first and second doses. An individual is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving both doses.