MOH Says No Cause for Alarm

Marvin Manzanero

The cause of death of three persons this month remains unknown and the ministry says samples have been sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency, CARPHA, and that at this stage, there is no cause for alarm.

Duane Moody

“When they do come to those facilities exhibiting these symptoms, the time frame before they die; is it something where there condition deteriorates rapidly; what is happening then?”

Dr. Marvin Manzanero, Director of Health Services

“Actually when we did the investigation because what stands out is when people have the same signs and symptoms when the end case is death, I can tell you that of the four cases that was investigated last year, I can tell you that one of those cases was HIV positive, you have two of those patients who have had diseases for five to seven days and they didn’t show up to the health facility until they were very sick. So even in the four cases we had last year, none of them once you do the adequate background check, the same amount of time with the disease that they had. They had the same end result because of them arriving very, very sick but the time it took them from the original illness to the time that they showed up at the facility fluctuated between the four patients. So we couldn’t find a specific pattern in those four cases. In these three cases that we haven’t completed the full investigation, I believe the next update because you know I autopsy is being done samples are being sent to CARPA and once we find anything that’s something that should be a cause for concern, we will be the first ones to share that information.”

This afternoon, the K.H.M.H. sent out a release. The release does not speak to the deaths, but says that a number of patients were transferred to the hospital with a severe, atypical, pneumonia and that a full epidemiological investigation is ongoing. The release also provides tips for flu prevention.