Increase in deaths and infections are indicators of the presence of a COVID-19 variant or variants in Guyana, but no formal confirmation has been received, says Guyana’s Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony.
An international health organization official announced several weeks ago that the variant wreaking havoc in neighbouring Brazil, P1, is present in Guyana. The Minister subsequently wrote to the organisation requesting an explanation for that official’s claim. Guyana Standard understands no response has been proffered to date.
Dr. Anthony told the house this afternoon, that Guyana does not have gene sequencing capacity to determine the mutations of COVID-19 in the country. He added that 10 samples were sent to Caribbean Public Health Agency for gene-sequencing, but no confirmation of mutations was identified.
But the Minister says it is “not impossible” for a variant to be present in Guyana given its proximity to Brazil and the lengthy borders shared between the two countries. He said it is “only a matter of time” before one surfaces.
He added that variants are not “novel”, noting that countries such as the United Kingdom and South Africa have identified strains. With the Caribbean being a region, it is plausible that mutations, whether imported or not, could be present.
He noted that variants or not, citizens must adhere to the measures in place to curb transmission. He added that the possibility of a variant being present in Guyana should be incentive for citizens to get vaccinated.
