BVI News

BVI’s current COVID cases are milder than those in first outbreak

Most persons who tested positive for COVID-19 during the ongoing outbreak in the BVI have presented with milder symptoms when compared to earlier stages of the pandemic.

This information was disclosed by the Acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr Ronald Georges during the Health Ministry’s virtual stakeholder meeting on COVID-19 yesterday.

“We continue to see nearly half of these people who are admitted into hospitals with positive test results are incidental findings. So, these are persons who are admitted for other reasons and happen to be positive, because all hospital admissions are screened for coronavirus. Out of the other half who are admitted for COVID symptoms, the majority of those are very, very mild symptoms,” Dr Georges stated.

“Few of them are on oxygen, most of them on nasal cannula (a device used to deliver supplemental oxygen or increased airflow to a patient or person in need of respiratory help),  a few of them may be on high-flow oxygen. We have not had serious cases that have to be ventilated and alike. You would note this is in stark contrast to the outbreak we had earlier [last] year with Delta. We had sicker persons in the community, more sick admission to the hospitals; persons requiring ventilation and oxygen, and a larger number of mortality and deaths. That is to show you the stark contrast between Omicron and Delta,” the Acting CMO continued.

Dr Georges also noted most of the cases in the communities are also mild. He said persons who tested positive describe having cold symptoms for two to three days and, at most, four days. 

He said these symptoms include sore throat, nasal congestion, headaches, and a few experiencing fevers, body aches, and other constitutional type problems.

“So, the picture is clearly different from the picture in the last outbreak. Essentially milder clinical picture and quicker and faster infection and rising in numbers of cases,” he added.

Although no samples sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) have returned with a positive test for the Omicron variant, Dr Georges still contends the outbreak might be a result of this highly transmissible variant. 

As a result, he reiterated the Omicron variant is several times more transmissible than the Delta variant — between one and five times — depending on the country.

“In most countries, once Omicron enters, it quickly pushes out the other variants and becomes the dominant variant. Some characteristics of the Omicron variant; it tends to cause milder disease than Delta. So, the Omicron variant has been found in multiple countries throughout the world and is also in the Caribbean region,” Dr Georges noted.

The Acting CMO also said there have been two additional COVID-19 related deaths recorded in the territory, bringing the total number of casualties to 42 persons. He said the updated statistics will be revealed soon but based on the information the Ministry of Health has, it seems the number of cases is levelling off.

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17 Comments

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  1. Great says:

    It is over, let’s get our lives back, masks off and start enjoying our God given freedoms.

    Like 13
    Dislike 14
    • Why? says:

      Why would you encourge this? People are dying. Please encourge persons to NOT be complacent. It is over when God says its over. Until then, continue to be safe.

      Like 9
      Dislike 6
      • @Why says:

        People were dying during the global lockdowns as well, proving that you cannot run/hide from a virus that spreads in the manner which this is spreading and that believe it or not, THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT MAKE PEOPLE SICK AND DIE OTHER THAN COVID!

        Like 10
        Dislike 1
    • Godly says:

      God gave you no unlimited freedom.
      Last time I remembered there are a lot of “thou shalt not” in the bible. So there are limits to your God given freedom.

    • >>??? says:

      Where are the numbers for the common flu? Is anyone keeping records anymore or is everything going to be recorded as covid?

    • txc says:

      Those huge green viruses in road town again? We are doomed.

  2. resident says:

    let everyone get the omicron so we all get natural immunity

    Like 9
    Dislike 4
    • @Resident says:

      It’s not that simple. Research shows that natural immunity does not last long.

      Like 6
      Dislike 18
      • Secret Bear says:

        Neither do the vaccines.

        Like 16
        Dislike 2
      • @@resident says:

        The research shows that vaccine immunity doesn’t last long (3-6 months tops) natural immunity has been found to be effective up to a year, and fares better with regards to warding off infection

        I swear the lot of you just making up stuff to validate your uniformed decision. The info is there to literally read yourself. Why lie???

        Like 15
        Dislike 2
      • SAY WHAT? says:

        ARE YOU MOCKING ELOHIM?

    • @RESIDENT says:

      There is no omicron! That was just made up to keep people in fear. COVID is nowhere near as bad as it was initially and the so called Omicron is the regular Flu!!! Is it ironic that ‘Omicron’ surfaced at the start of flu season and is anticipated to ‘wind down’ towards the end of flu season?

      Like 3
      Dislike 4
  3. Then Why the drama? says:

    They keep reporting the positive cases. Tell us how many negatives. How many recoveries..Get your reporting balance .

    Like 7
    Dislike 1
  4. End it says:

    No reason for ridiculous quarantines. It’s over. By their own admission people are actually in the hospital for other issues and are tested as a matter of course, but that isn’t WHY they are in there. It’s over. It’s a cold. Move on.

    Like 12
    Dislike 2
  5. Jah Know says:

    That’s because most of these ppl have a simple cold or flu and it’s causing a positive test result. It’s flu season

    Like 7
    Dislike 1
  6. Sick of them says:

    ‼️List of the 52 viruses that can cause a PCR test to give false positives:

    H1N1 (2009)
    Seasonal H1N1 Influenza Virus
    H3N2 Influenza Virus
    H5N1 Avian Influenza Virus
    H7N9 Avian Influenza Virus
    Influenza B Yamagata
    Influenza B Victoria
    RSV Type A
    RSV Type B
    Enterovirus A
    Enterovirus B
    Enterovirus C
    Enterovirus D
    Parainfluenza Virus Type 1
    Parainfluenza Virus Type 2
    Parainfluenza Virus Type 3
    Rhinovirus A
    Rhinovirus B
    Rhinovirus C
    Adenovirus Type 1
    Adenovirus Type 2
    Adenovirus Type 3
    Adenovirus Type 4
    Adenovirus Type 5
    Adenovirus Type 7
    Adenovirus Type 55
    Human Metapneumovirus
    Epstein-Barr Virus
    Measles Virus
    Human Cytomegalovirus
    Rotavirus
    Norovirus
    Mumps Virus
    Varicella-Zoster Virus
    Legionella
    Bordetella Pertussis
    Haemophilus Influenzae
    Staphylococcus Aureus
    Streptococcus Pneumoniae
    Streptococcus Pyogenes
    Klebsiekka Pneumoniae
    Mycobacteruym Tuberculosis
    Mycoplasma Pneumoniae
    Chlamydia Pneumoniae
    Aspergillus Fumigatus
    Candida Albucabs
    Candida Glabrata
    Cryptococcus Neoformans
    Cryptococcus Gutti
    Pneumocystis Jirovecii (PJP)
    Coronavirus 229E
    Coronavirus OC43
    Coronavirus NL63
    Coronavirus HKU1
    Coronavirus MERS
    Coronavirus Sars
    Pooled Human Nasal Wash

    (This information is included in the PCR test instructions leaflet)

  7. Peewee says:

    Stolen from a well educated friend:

    “Among all the vaccines I have known in my life (diphtheria, tetanus,measles, rubella, chickenpox,hepatitis, meningitis and tuberculosis), i want to also add flu and pneumonia I have never seen a vaccine that forced me to wear a mask and maintain my social distance, even when you are fully vaccinated. I had never heard of a vaccine that spreads the virus even after vaccination. I had
    never heard of rewards, discounts, incentives to get vaccinated. I never saw discrimination for those who didn’t. If you haven’t been vaccinated no one has tried to make you feel like a bad person. I have never seen a vaccine that threatens the relationship between family, colleagues and friends. I have never seen a vaccine used to threaten livelihoods, work or
    school. I have never seen a vaccine that would allow a 12-year-old to override parental consent. After all the vaccines I listed above, I have never seen a vaccine like this one, which discriminates, divides and judges society as it is. And as the social fabric tightens… It’s a powerful vaccine! She does all these things except IMMUNIZATION. If we still need a booster dose after we are fully vaccinated, and we still need to get a negative test after we are fully vaccinated, and we still need to wear a mask after we are fully vaccinated, and still be hospitalized after we have been fully vaccinated, it will likely come to “It’s time for us to admit that we’ve been completely deceived.”

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