In strange twist, woman tests positive for COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic has produced its most recent – and strangest – instance so far in which a person tested positive for COVID-19 after sailing through the test twice before.

In an equally unusual case, the patient, a 54-year-old woman, tested positive a third time, narrowly missing going undetected indefinitely only after a chance decision to urge her to stay under quarantine a little longer.

The woman, who has remained in quarantine ever since returning to the country on a JetBlue flight, as she was told on Day Seven, that having been seated close to one of the five who tested positive, her period of quarantine and frequent monitoring, would be extended.

Few countries in the world administer a third test.  But Barbados chose this course of action, after five people tested positive after arriving here on a JetBlue flight from the US

So far, that third testing of selected passengers on the repatriation flight from New York to Barbados on July 4th, has thrown up a single new positive case, the authorities said.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George explained that following the positive diagnoses of five returning nationals last weekend, a decision was taken to extend the quarantine period of passengers seated to those five.

This means that although testing negative twice, seven days apart, the arrival remained under close supervision of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, and were told to self quarantine for another week, out of an abundance of caution.

Someone seated close to one of the five that tested positive last weekend, has now, on their third examination, tested positive for the coronavirus, the health officials said.

Dr George explained that while this is technically another case added to the Barbados tally, bringing it to 104 confirmed cases, it is also a tremendous tribute to the protocols and practices of the Ministry of Health and Wellness as well as a commentary on the dynamic nature of this virus.

The Chief Medical Officer said: “For a person to test positive 11 days after arriving in the county and after two negative tests seven days a apart is very interesting in the least, but I am happy that we did the necessary contact tracing and that we benefited from the full cooperation of passengers aboard that flight.

“However, this is COVID-19 and we shall not stop our search for any and all possible instances of spread in Barbados.”

The Best-Santos Public Health laboratory has now completed 9091 tests. Seven of the 104 confirmed cases have died. Of this, 90 people have recovered from the illness.