PAHO shares recommendations on Covid-19 patient management

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By Kadeem Joseph

[email protected] 

As Covid-19 related deaths continue to increase in Antigua and Barbuda and other countries in the region, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is highlighting recommendations for the effective management of patients with the virus.

PAHO’s Incident Manager Dr Sylvain Aldighieri conceded that there has not been any drastic evolution in the recommended guidelines for the management of patients during the last couple of months. 

PAHO’s Incident Manager Dr Sylvain Aldighieri

But despite this, he highlighted the need for “close follow-up of persons with risk factors including comorbidities”.

Dr Aldighieri also underscored the need to closely monitor the oxygen levels of people suspected or confirmed to have Covid-19, and the detection of any evolution of the clinical stages of the virus that would trigger the need for a patient to be transferred to an intensive care unit. 

“The timely access to oxygen therapy is key for preventing respiratory complications,” he explained. “The use of anticoagulants and dexamethasone has proven to be effective for the mortality in critical patients.”

The incident manager also noted that PAHO continues to update the review of potential new treatments for Covid-19 patients that are published in peer reviewed publications following randomised clinical studies, and which are available to ministries of health, medical practitioners and members of the scientific community.

The PAHO representative also assured that Antigua and Barbuda has been reporting the number of cases the country records as well as the deaths.

Antigua and Barbuda has to date recorded 963 laboratory-confirmed cases of the virus, inclusive of 338 active cases and 27 deaths.

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