By Shermain Bique-Charles
The number of Covid-19 cases in Antigua and Barbuda appears to have been grossly undercounted.
According to medical practitioner, Dr. Jason Belizaire, that’s because the Rapid Antigen Tests are not reflected in the dashboard.
Belizaire said on Saturday that he recorded 33 cases of Covid-19 two days last week which are not yet reflected in the numbers.
“Over the last couple of days in my office we have been setting records. A record number of people that are antigen positive. We had 18 Thursday, and 15 on Friday, and that’s just in my little world,” he said.
Not surprisingly, Dr Belizaire said that these numbers are more prevalent in the unvaccinated people.
“Very few are vaccinated. The vast majority definitely are in the unvaccinated,” he added.
On Saturday, the dashboard revealed that thirteen new cases of Covid-19 were recorded. These results reflected tests from last week Thursday, of 17 samples that were processed at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre. Active cases now stand at 650.
Meanwhile Dr Belizaire said that the delay in vaccinations may make achieving herd immunity against Covid-19 impossible.
“I am not even sure herd immunity is possible anymore, and a lot of scientists that don’t feel that it is possible because these new strains are so much more contagious, that they are affecting vaccinated people. That makes herd immunity less likely,” he added.
The country fully vaccinated thirty-five thousand, seven hundred and nine (35,709) individuals, while seven thousand, nine hundred and seventy-two (7,972) have only received their first dose.