Findings of probe to determine next step as cases continue to rise

Medical professionals across Barbados are currently analysing data from the latest COVID-19 statistics that will determine whether the country is currently in the throes of a third wave of the deadly virus.

Barbados TODAY understands that the findings of this probe will also determine the next steps to be taken as the country continues to grapple with an extended spike in cases.

President of the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP) Dr Lynda Williams declared that she was not in a position to provide details of the information that would guide Government policy going forward.

The epidemiologist however confirmed the high-level talks among public health officials, academics and the wider medical fraternity about the steady increase of cases.

“We’re looking at data, we are analyzing and we are projecting and that is the best I can tell you. We can’t just say so on a knee-jerk basis,” she responded, when asked whether there was enough evidence to suggest the existence of a third wave of COVID-19.

“That entails looking at all of the indicators within the country, that include cumulative numbers of cases, how many people we think are likely to be infected by a single person, it has to do with whether or not we think there are variants in the space.

It has to do with many many variables,” Dr Williams further explained.

Consistent with previous analyses, the BAMP president noted that the country’s ability to adequately cope with increasing numbers, carry out adequate contact tracing and maintain a relatively low positivity rate would also be important factors to consider.

“It has to do with so many factors and then we build a model that projects how many cases we expect if we did nothing different, if we did just what we are doing now, if we did a little bit more, those are the kinds of things that are happening now.

Until those are done, we would not be able to speak to whether or not we are in [a third wave] or we are going into or we are coming out of it,” the BAMP president added.

The country is once again under a night-time curfew after just two weeks of freedom from COVID-related curfews or shutdowns. One hundred and sixteen people are now in isolation and dozens of others quarantined pending the outcome of robust testing and contact tracing.

Among the newest potential exposures is an entire class 4 at the St Jude’s Primary School in St George. The Wildey branch of CIBC First Caribbean International Bank has been closed until further notice after a staffer tested positive.
The developments have prompted the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) to propose a national work-from-homepolicy that will cover the public and private sector.

Earlier this week, Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George revealed that it was still too early to describe the current spike as a third wave of COVID as it does not yet meet the statistical definitions. He said that such a determination could only be made after at least two weeks of consistent monitoring by public health officials.

(kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb)