PNG's Covid-19 infections inch towards 1,000 mark

News that matter in Papua New Guinea

 

 PNG's Covid-19 infections inch towards 1,000 mark

PORT MORESBY: The world’s worst ever health pandemic inflicted by the Covid-19 flu virus has to date (Feb 13, 2021) claimed 2.4 million lives and infected 108.5 million people. 

Of the total infected globally, only 80.5 million have recovered thus far. 

The Papua New Guinea (PNG) government on Thursday (Feb 11, 2021) announced that the country registered 14 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday - raising the total infections to 914 - and inching towards the 1,000 mark. 

Although PNG is still regarded as a low-risk Covid-19 country (currently ranked 185 out of 221 listed countries), the Pacific-Oceania island should take no comfort of its public health status - in that PNG has the highest number of infections amongst the Pacific nations.

Papua New Guineans should therefore not rest on its laurels when it comes to practising social distancing and wearing of face mask in public. 

To remain ignorant of public health and to remain arrogant are factors that may result in Papua New Guineans having to regret and to be sorry should the deadly virus spread unabated. 

If a developed county like the super power USA can be brought down to its knees by the virus (which is also mutating), can one imagine the deadly sufferings if the situation in PNG goes out of control. 

The USA is the No.1 deadliest Covid-19 country in the world today because of its citizens’ ignorance and arrogance. 

Even the UK, touted as the country with the most advanced medical system, is ranked No.5 in the world in terms of infections. 

The USA has currently registered 28 million cases, 487,797 deaths and 17.9 million recoveries while the UK recorded four million cases, 116,287 deaths with only 2.1 million recoveries. 

At No.2 is India (10.9 million cases, 155,569 deaths, 10.6 million recoveries), Brazil is at No. 3 (9.7 million cases, 236,397 deaths, 8.6 million) and Russia at No.4 (four million cases, 79,194 deaths, 3.6 million recoveries. 

So, Papua New Guineans must not take the global pandemic for granted and embrace ignorance and arrogance on the global pandemic threat. 

For more details, the Government’s update was reported by The National:

 

 

 14 new Covid-19 cases reported bringing total to 914

February 12, 2021The NationalMain Stories

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PAPUA New Guinea reported 14 new cases of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) on Wednesday, raising the country’s total cases to 914.
National Control Centre Covid-19 Joint Agency Task Force Chief Supt Dominic Kakas said in the Controller’s media release yesterday that the latest cases were reported in Madang and in the National Capital District (NCD).
NCD reported one case and Madang 13 cases. The 13 reported cases in Madang are all male, aged between 21 and 46.
They were detected through contact tracing.
All the infected 13 did not show symptoms of the Covid-19 virus at the time of testing but swab samples returned positive.
A 23-year-old man is the latest to be tested positive in NCD.
He was experiencing muscle aches at the time of testing.
The country’s Covid-19 cases as a result stands at 914 with nine deaths.
A total of 43,728 people have tested positive for the Covid-19.
Eight hundred and forty-six people have recovered whilst 232 samples are pending at the laboratories. Fifty-nine active cases are in isolation.
The confirmed cases in the 17 provinces, including the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB).
Globally, the total confirmed cases of Covid-19 is 106,125,682 including 304,166 new cases reported in the last 24 hours. The death toll is 2,320,497 of which 8,021 were reported in the last 24 hours.

Health centres conducting tests

February 12, 2021The NationalMain Stories

 Article Views : 0

By LULU MARK
IN response to concerns by the Health Department about the low rate of Covid-19 testing, the National Capital District Health Authority is ensuring that swabbing is conducted in all its health facilities.
Acting chief executive officer Ken Wai told The National yesterday that the Badili, Morata and Gordon clinics were conducting swabbing.
“Hopefully Gerehu (General Hospital) and other (clinics) will commence (swabbing) next week,” he said.
“We are organising and delivering their personal protective equipment (PPE) and logistics now.
“The NCD Covid-19 coordinating committee will meet every Monday to monitor the Covid-19 sustainability programme in the city.”
Head of the Covid-19 programme at the Badili clinic Clifford Wilford said a triaging desk had been set up at the gate where patients would go to.
“At the triage, if a patient is showing symptoms such as a runny nose, fever, cough, headache, fatigue he or she is directed to the swabbing booth,” he said.
“We have two staff from our partner the FHI 360 managing the booth every day. At the booth, the patient is nasally swabbed.
“Two swab samples are taken.
“One of the samples is used for the rapid-diagnostic testing kits for antigen test. After 20 to 30 minutes, the result is known.
“If the result is negative the patient is attended to by the clinic staff. If it is positive, the patient is isolated and the Covid-19 team is called in to take over the case.
“The other swab sample is for validation so it is sent to the laboratory.”
Wilford said in a day, more than 50 patients visited the clinic and on average around 10 people were swabbed and tested for Covid-19.
“So not everybody that comes to the clinic are swabbed and tested for the Covid-19. It’s only those who have symptoms of the Covid-19 who are tested.”

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