DHS Manzanero Outlines Contact Mapping for First COVID-19 Case

Marvin Manzanero

A thorough investigation, which includes retracing the journey of the San Pedrano affected by COVID-19, is being undertaken by the Ministry of Health.  Her travels included a layover in Texas, but local officials are looking at all the persons she may have been in physical contact with on her way to Belize.  While the prime minister is on record to say that there may have been minimal interaction between the victim and passengers, as well as flight staff, a complete mapping will determine the extent of her contact during her travels back home.  The symptoms, according to Director of Health Services Dr. Marvin Manzanero, were shortness of breath and dry cough.

Dr. Marvin Manzanero, Director of Health Services

“Actually the contact is even before the person lands, we have to look at the plane manifest.  We have checked, she was not sneezing and coughing so that minimizes your probability in terms of droplets all over the place, if you will.  Dry cough and shortness of breath seem to be the preliminary symptoms and fever, that’s when she was swabbed.  So the mapping exercise includes all of what you have asked.  So that is what has started, the team is on the ground now and we can’t give all the particular details.  What we do is that once we do a mapping exercise we reach out to the individual persons on a one-on-one basis and if there is a need for swabbing we will do that.”