By Theresa Goodwin
Covid figures are climbing on the sister island with more and more children presenting with mild symptoms, a leading medic says.
There are currently four children infected in Barbuda, aged between one and five.
Resident doctor Jeremy Deazle is attributing this to the highly contagious Omicron variant which appears to be affecting more children than other variants. Most cases are detected through random testing.
“The new variant that is now in our midst has proven to be very transmissible and highly contagious; the best thing is that the symptoms appear to be mild. The children are presenting with fever, vomiting and loss of appetite and it tends to last three to four days,” Deazle explained.
He said so far this is the only variant they have observed where the cases have multiplied in a short space of time.
The medical practitioner said his team continues to advise residents to adhere to the health and safety protocols, given Barbuda’s limited health facilities.
Parents are also being advised to keep their children at home if they are ill.
“I would also want to encourage people who have not been vaccinated to do so and those who require a booster as well. We don’t know when we are going to see another variant or one which could be more lethal. I encourage people to follow the guidelines as we continue this battle,” Dr Deazle added.
The last information released by the Ministry of Health on January 18 showed there to be 1,024 active cases of the virus in the country.
Barbuda currently has 22 actives cases.