K.H.M.H. Shares its COVID Figures, Including its Mortality Rate

Michelle Hoare

There have been eleven thousand, seven hundred and eighty-eight confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Belize. Of that number, two hundred and ninety-three deaths have been reported. It is a case fatality rate of approximately two and a half percent. Not all of those who tested positive for the disease were admitted to the ward at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, and not all who died of COVID-related causes passed away at the K.H.M.H.  C.E.O. Michelle Hoare gave the breakdown of COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital.

Michelle Hoare, Chief Executive Officer, K.H.M.H.A.

“Since we started our heightened surveillance in January of last year, 2020, we saw over five hundred patients that were screened for SARS-COV 2 virus.  Of that total we have two hundred and six being positive and two hundred and fifty-seven discharges, a hundred and sixteen died, to date.  So those were our numbers.  Not everybody that came through were admitted.  Of that total positive, we had some being discharged and some being admitted and then of that total again, there was a total that was ventilated.  So the total admitted was a hundred and sixty-six and of that total we sixty-five being ventilated.”

Isani Cayetano

“We have well over eleven thousand cases on record.  Are you saying, just for my clarity, are you saying that those were the actual numbers that came through the K.H.M.H., notwithstanding the eleven thousand plus figure?”

Michelle Hoare

“Right.  These are patients that actually accessed care at K.H.M.H.  So depending on where they come from, they become a suspect case and they have to be swabbed.  Depending on the, because there is a screening process that takes place at our triage point, so if they fit the criteria for COVID, they are admitted to the COVID isolation as a suspect case.  They are tested and depending on the result they are either admitted in the COVID isolation or they are sent to the general patient care and they are tested and depending on the result they either be admitted in the COVID isolation or they are sent to the general patient care area for admission.”