by Linda Straker
- 3 respiratory viruses circulated during 5th and 6th weeks of 2023
- 49 Covid-19 active cases for week ending 18 February 2023
- Grenada has not made wearing face masks or face coverings mandatory
The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has confirmed that the Human Metapneumovirus was among 3 respiratory viruses circulating in Grenada during the 5th and 6th weeks of 2023.
The other 2 were Influenza A H1N1 pdm 09, or Swine Flu, and SARS CoV-2, or Covid-19.
According to the WHO website, the Human Metapneumovirus is a negative-sense single-stranded RNA virus of the family Pneumoviridae and is closely related to the Avian metapneumovirus subgroup C. It was isolated for the first time in 2001 in the Netherlands by using the RAP-PCR technique to identify unknown viruses growing in cultured cells.
Referred to as HMPV, Human Metapneumovirus can cause upper and lower respiratory disease in people of all ages, especially among young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.
The H1N1/09 virus is a swine-origin influenza A virus subtype H1N1 strain responsible for the 2009 swine flu pandemic. This strain is often called Swine Flu.
The Ministry of Health has not been disseminating the daily Covid-19 dashboard; however, according to the weekly Communicable Disease Report 2023 for the week ending 18 February 2023, there were 49 Covid-19 active cases, 4 of which are currently hospitalised. The 7-day average cases stand at 3.
One death brought Grenada’s Covid-19-related death numbers to 239 since the start of the pandemic. The Covid-19 genome sequencing results for the same period show that the variants were: BA.5.1.1.0; BN.1.5; BQ.1.1.18; BQ.1.1and BN.1.3.1.
CMO Dr Shawn Charles said that Grenada is currently monitoring the situation. “We continue to closely monitor the occurrence of acute respiratory infection in Grenada in the context of the ongoing North American flu season, and the just ended Carriacou carnival where there were mass gatherings of people.”
Cuban-trained Medical Doctor Terrence Marryshow said that he has attended to an increased number of people with respiratory viruses in recent weeks. “My advice to the general public is that it is best to practice preventative care such as avoiding crowded areas, using sanitisers; some of the everyday messages like washing hands that became popular messages during Covid, and loading up on Vitamin C and if they become infected. Drink lots of fluid,” he said.
Grenada, like most countries in the region, has not made wearing face masks or face coverings mandatory, but medical professionals believe that is something that health authorities should encourage because it has proven to be very effective in the fight against respiratory viruses.
