by Linda Straker
- Grenada has not done Covid-19 genome sequencing since September 2022
- From September to December Grenada recorded several Covid-19 cases
- XBB.1.5 Omicron sub-variant has been circulating in region since last year
Grenada has not done Covid-19 genome sequencing since September 2022 and as a result, health officials said it is unknown if the XBB.1.5 omicron subvariant is the same subvariant affecting nationals who have tested positive for Covid-19 during the past 4 months.
Dr Shawn Charles, Acting Chief Medical Officer said that from September to December Grenada recorded several Covid-19 cases, but there was not a significant increase as for other respiratory illnesses.
“We saw an increase in Respiratory Syncytial Virus or RSV, Influenza A virus subtype H3N2, and the Human parainfluenza viruses, all these are viruses that affect the respiratory systems but there was no surge of Covid-19, so no genome sequencing was done since September 2022,” he said while explaining that less and less people are testing for Covid-19 when they become unwell with a respiratory problem.
Dr Joy St John, Executive Director of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) that the XBB.1.5 Omicron sub-variant has been circulating in the region since last year but there is yet to be an outbreak or significant increase of cases among the 26 countries which the agency has jurisdiction.
“CARPHA just tracks what is circulating and matches them to reports from the member states of the illness circulating, we have not been seeing the surges…we are seeing the surges link to other viruses,” she told regional journalists participating in a health reporting training with the Media Institute of the Caribbean.
Dr Charles said that Grenada’s failure to seek genome sequencing is linked directly to the number of Covid-19 positives cases. “Currently, there is a reduced number of testing done among people who become unwell with respiratory illnesses. People are just not coming forward and test for Covid-19 as before, and the tests that we do conduct are showing positive for other respiratory illnesses,” he said.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed on Wednesday during a news conference that XBB.1.5 has a “growth advantage” over other sub-variants seen so far. It said there was no indication so far that it was more serious or harmful than previous Omicron variants.
More than 40% of Covid cases in the United States — which is one of Grenada’s traditional tourism source markets — are thought to be caused by XBB.1.5, making it the current dominant strain in that part of the world.
Dem still peddling this foolishness.. Lol…. “You can fool some people sometimes but you can’t fool the people all the time”