Health, News, US/World

Merck pill seen as ‘huge advance,’ raises hope of preventing COVID-19 deaths

Published 2 October 2021

Basseterre 

Buckie Got It, St.Kitts and Nevis News Source 

By Deena Beasley and Carl O’donnell

  • Merck will seek U.S. approval for pill as soon as possible
  • If approved, would be 1st oral antiviral COVID-19 drug
  • Merck shares rally, some vaccine makers fall
  • U.S. government to buy 1.7 mln courses at $700 each

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Health, Local news, News

St. Kitts And Nevis Records Twenty nine (29) Additional Cases of COVID-19 On 1 October 2021 with 969 Active Cases, 1012 Recovered Cases & 13 Deaths

Published 2 October 2021

Basseterre 

Buckie Got It, St.Kitts and Nevis News Source 

St. Kitts And Nevis Records Twenty nine (29) Additional Cases of COVID-19 On 1 October 2021 with 969 Active Cases, 1012 Recovered Cases & 13 Deaths

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Health, Local news, News

MINISTER OF HEALTH ADDRESSES MATTERS RELATED TO ISOLATION, QUARANTINE AND MANAGEMENT OF CASES

Published 1 October 2021

Basseterre 

Buckie Got It, St.Kitts and Nevis News Source 

MINISTER OF HEALTH ADDRESSES MATTERS RELATED TO ISOLATION, QUARANTINE AND MANAGEMENT OF CASES

Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 01, 2021 (SKNIS): Like many other countries globally, St. Kitts and Nevis implemented isolation and quarantine measures to help protect the general public from exposure to people who have or may have contracted COVID-19. Against this backdrop, the Minister of Health, the Honourable Akilah Byron-Nisbett, addressed matters related to isolation, quarantine and management of cases at the Sitting of the National Assembly on September 30.

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Health, Local news, News

PAHO/WHO REPRESENTATIVES CURRENTLY IN ST. KITTS AND NEVIS TO ANALYZE SUCCESSFUL VACCINATION ROLL-OUT PROGRAMME

Published 1 October 2021

Basseterre 

Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source

PAHO/WHO REPRESENTATIVES CURRENTLY IN ST. KITTS AND NEVIS TO ANALYZE SUCCESSFUL VACCINATION ROLL-OUT PROGRAMME

Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 1, 2021 (SKNIS): The Government of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis has gained global recognition for the management of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, Dr. Milton Britton Barillas, Paediatrician and PAHO/WHO Technical Advisor for COVID-19 roll-out, and Dr. Darlene Omeir, PAHO Advisor, Family and Community Health, are currently in the Federation meeting with health officials to analyze St. Kitts and Nevis’ successful vaccination programme and the strategies implemented by its health officials in the fight against COVID-19.

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Health, Local news, News

DR. WILKINSON APOLOGIZES FOR DELAYS IN COVID-19 TEST RESULTS

Published 1 October 2021

Basseterre 

Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source

DR. CAMERON WILKINSON, MEDICAL CHIEF OF STAFF AT JNF GENERAL HOSPITAL

DR. WILKINSON APOLOGIZES FOR DELAYS IN COVID-19 TEST RESULTS

Basseterre, St. Kitts, September 30, 2021 (SKNIS): Dr. Cameron Wilkinson, Medical Chief of Staff of the Joseph N. France General Hospital, apologized for the delay in COVID-19 test results that has contributed to some persons staying a bit longer in quarantine.

“We feel your pain but I want to reassure you that we have been working around the clock to make sure that we correct this,” Dr. Wilkinson stated at the Prime Minister’s Monthly Press Conference on September 28, 2021. “The truth of the matter is [that] we were in the peak of our third wave [and] we were doing a significant number of tests.”

Dr. Wilkinson said that between September 01 to 25, 2021, there were a total of 8,431 tests carried out for the coronavirus. That is an average of 383 tests done on the six working days that the laboratories operate.

Three private laboratories offer COVID-19 tests in St. Kitts. They are Next Generation (NexGen) Medical Laboratory with a capacity of 150 to 300 tests per day, Avalon Medical Laboratory which can run 20 to 40 tests per day, and Quality Diagnostic Laboratory (QDL) that has a capacity for eight to 12 tests per day.

Over the aforementioned 25-day period, NexGen processed 6,753 COVID-19 samples, Avalon processed 1,500 samples, while QDL ran 178 samples.

Dr. Wilkinson noted that contact tracing is carried out for every positive case.

“Sometimes one contact would have about 40 other contacts so you can understand the volume of work that the Ministry of Health has had to be doing over the past few days,” the Medical Chief of Staff stated. “… Again, I apologize for the delay, but I want you to understand that a number of us have been having sleepless nights trying to make you safe.”

Dr. Wilkinson said that he understands why persons are eager to be released from quarantine. However, he cautioned that health authorities are unwilling to compromise the community by prematurely releasing individuals from quarantine. That decision must be informed by medical science.

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