“The reality is the fourth wave is here” — Dr Philip Swann
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Younger people are being impacted by the ongoing surge believed to be the fourth wave of the coronavirus in The Bahamas, according to officials yesterday.
Data compiled by the Ministry of Health and Wellness indicate the majority of cases since the uptick in infections have been among those aged 20-29.
The data also suggest that this demographic is responsible for clusters in the home and workplace, largely due to a lack of adherence to health protocols.
Comparisons among the first three waves in The Bahamas and the fourth wave shows that those between 20 and 59 are being impacted in greater numbers, with those between 20-29 topping that list.
“There is a variation in the sex distribution with 53 percent of the cases in the fourth wave being represented by females,” said Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Philip Swann.
He continued: “Also what is noted is that a significant amount of the spread is occurring in home settings and in the workplace. Both suggest that people are out and about, not adhering to recommended protective measures and taking the virus home to their families. We once again reiterate the importance of adherence to protocols at all times.”
He added: “The reality is the fourth wave is here and so what we need to figure out what is the engine that is driving this wave and how we can mitigate it.”
A total of 970 cases were confirmed during epi week 52 of this year, compared to the 79 cases during the same period last year and the previous record of 888 cases during epi week 33 — the summer of this year when the delta variant was spreading throughout communities.
“This is significant as it represents 4.7 times the amount of cases just the previous week, epi week 50 at 207 positive cases. About three to four weeks ago, during our weekly review, the Ministry of Health and Wellness noticed changes in the source of our numbers for reported positive cases,” Swann said.
“We noted that a greater proportion of our cases were among travelers, ranging from 30 to 40 percent.”
Of the 970 cases, 677 were cases were among Bahamians and residents while 212 were among visitors. Another 81 cases were not delineated.
“It was at that time we began conversations with fellow government agencies on steps to tighten the net around testing requirements to enter the country,”
“The review of our data indicated that a reduction from five days to three days prior to travel was acceptable to both sides of the coin, and that movement to accept only RT PCR would be best given the options available.”
The move was expected to limit up to 50 percent of those testing positive for COVID-19 subsequent to their arrival, from entering the country.
Amid the surge, the government has sought to expand testing, recruit additional staff, increase access to medicines and ramp up vaccinations, while increasing measures related to The Bahamas travel regime.
Asked about infection rates increasing among the elderly and those who are immunocompromised, Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Michael Darville said there is a strong possibility that when the omicron variant reaches those groups, more severe cases could present in hospitals, resulting in increased deaths.
Director of the National HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Programme Dr Nikkiah Forbes also said this has been the case in other jurisdictions, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, noting that The Bahamas must continue to be cautious and not take the omicron variant, though less severe, lightly.
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