Dominica’s national epidemiologist, Dr. Shalauddin Ahmed, has disclosed that to date, there are “no reported cases of COVID 19 virus in Dominica.”
He made the announcement at a press conference hosted by the Ministry of Health on March 19, 2020, as health officials sought to bring the country up to date with the latest information on its status as it relates to the deadly COVID-19 virus.
“The good news is that there is no reported cases of coronavirus in Dominica, be it suspected or confirmed,” Dr. Ahmed said.
He explained that the surveillance done by the Ministry of Health to detect the coronavirus has the objectives of identification, isolation and counter tracing.
“Since the beginning of coronavirus, that’s in January 2020, we have been looking for patients all over – community, ports of entry etc and we are vigorously looking at the ports of entry and we have screened, quarantined and followed up,” the epidemiologist reported. “Just to tell you that all these cases that we have followed up for a period of 14 days and we have not found signs of any symptoms in those patients.”
He continued, “To date, we have tested 28 patients since starting in February to March 19, 2020, and we have had three cases from our follow up which developed symptoms from our follow up but have been cleared up and don’t have Covid 19.”
According to Dr. Ahmed, they have also been in the communities and have seen people that “we suspect may be deemed as suspects and we isolate them and then we test them, so this process is ongoing.”
Dr. Ahmed also explained that the screening process targets “any patient with flu-like symptoms or [who] has been in contact with someone with the virus.”
He said going forward those with mild fever in the community will be quarantined and isolated for the 14 days.
Dr. Ahmed said that identification and isolation is the key to control the spread of the disease and the Ministry of Health is strongly advocating “social distancing” as much as possible and the avoidance of social gatherings.
I came to Domminica 3 weeks ago, no control at all. ANd I met some people in Roseau just arriving from Martinique 3 days ago. No control????
“Since the beginning of coronavirus, that’s in January 2020, we have been looking for patients all over – community, ports of entry etc and we are vigorously looking at the ports of entry and we have screened, quarantined and followed up,” the epidemiologist reported. “Just to tell you that all these cases that we have followed up for a period of 14 days and we have not found signs of any symptoms in those patients.” this doctor must be speaking of the Dominican Republic and not the commonwealth of Dominica, cause the most densely populated area Roseau, has not seen any screening, authorities themselves in an earlier article stated that screening is only being conducted at the hospital. there is a lot of misinformation from this doctor, these people should be taken to task for such actions which are unethical and immoral especial from someone who has a professional responsibility to be ethical. this is a sad state.
Quite impressed with how Dominica has been handling this. Maybe some of the bigger countries could learn something from you.
I was afraid that poorer countries would not have the resources to fight, but so far Dominica is one of the few territories that has not succumbed to this plague.
You are in my prayers. Love you Dominica.
Your comment is so ignorant I would like to suggest you simply shut up if you have nothing important to say!
How is Dominica dealing with what; when we see this man running off his mouth talking about the virus is not in Dominica: how can you deal with a situation if a situation good or bad does not exist?
Big countries should learn from what?
By the time the virus become know in Dominica, half or the whole country could be wiped out, all dead!
Stop talking nonsense; how many hospitals are there in Dominica?
I assure you there are not enough to treat the twenty- five or thirty thousand people living in Dominica.
There are forty million plus people living in the State of California, we are all ordered to remain in our homes; that is ordered quarantine; that is the only means and method used to help curtail the virus, since there is no cure!
They do not have any medication to treat the virus!
“Dr. Ahmed also explained that the screening process targets “any patient with flu-like symptoms or [who] has been in contact with someone with the virus.”
Wait a minute nou. Dr. Ahmed has me lost here, especially the last part …”who has been in contact with someone with the virus”.
So Dr. Ahmed, are you telling us that you know someone who has or has had the virus? So where is that someone with the virus? Is that person dead?
How could Dr. Ahmed tell us that the screening process targets “any patient with flu-like symptoms or [who] has been in contact with someone with the virus”, and at the same time he is telling us there is no known case in Dominica? So based on what Dr. Ahmed said it is fair to conclude that is either some have died from the virus or some have it because that’s the only way you could test persons with flu-like symptoms (who) has been in contact with “SOMEONE WITH THE VIRUS”
@Perfect ldiot, your name tells us all about you, if you notice Dr Ahmed said a flu-like – symptoms or who has been in contact with someone with the Virus, Dr Ahmed did not say Covid-19 Virus 🙈 like Linton you both seem to be wearing dark glasses at night 😎🤣🤣🤣🤣
So smart … dogbiter what virus did the doctor refer to in his talk if it was not coronavirus. The conference was about coronavirus was it not? Man, you are to silly for words.
@manbitedogs – Dr ahmed was giving a brief on the current status of their (testing) in Dominica for COVID19 CORONA VIRUS. Surely you understand that he did not have to specify he was talking about covid19 when he said virus. You …. keyboard warrior! 172 countries around the world cant cope, including the developed world. They are all shutting borders etc and some even pass emergency laws to keep citizens indoors as they have NO CURE!!!! You may not wear dark shades at night, but clearly your head is empty! Maybe if you survive COVID19 CORONA VIRUS you may want to get some descent education which might help you navigate your way in the world outside Dominica. Please i beg, this time do not go to school ahbah wasyea! P.S. THERES 195 COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD. MOST ARE MORE DEVELOPED THAN DOMINICA AND EVEN THEY CANT STOP CORONA COMING TO THEIR SHORES AND THEIR PEOPLE DIE LIKE FLIES. YOU SIR/MAM IS ONE OF MANY ……. WHO MAKE ME WANT TO SELL MY PASSPORT. OF JUST RIP IT UP!!!
finally someone reads the fine print
Anything goes in Dominica you know; wherever they from; no matter if they attended an accredit university or not, Roosevelt will find them and bring them in to perform malpractice on our people.
That is why so many of our people walking into the butcher shop they call Dominica China Friendship Hospital, and are carried out foot first dead!
Some PA (Physician Assistance) I know even from Wesley working in hospitals here in the United States, are far better in treating patients than so called doctors in Dominica.
Where Roosevelt dig these quacks out of only he knows.
I hear his health Minister McIntyre spoke some nonsense, I don’t know from where he earned a medical degree.
That guy could not make it as a medical doctor in any other place on this planet.
That is why he sits there with an angry face; not understanding a word that is spoken: I just spoke to someone in Antigua who told me Antigua is literally shut down.
Nevertheless; Roosevelt Schools are open!
Dr. Ahmed said that identification and isolation is the key to control the spread of the disease and the Ministry of Health is strongly advocating “social distancing” as much as possible and the avoidance of social gatherings.!!! lol
😀😷 As you can see on the photo of the audience!!! What a joke !
No case!! Put it in your pipe and smoke it!!!
That s all? Seriously Dude? You test 28 people, and we supposed to relax? After Carnival, Party all around the place, cruise and tourist season…and we have no case? No official warning from the authorities, people still hugging, kisses each other …cool la vie dou….til when?? We have a lot of old people, diabetic, obese, or with heavy Pathology. They will be the first one affected no matter what age. What measures are in place to stop the spreading of the virus in Dominica? And please don’t tell him it is not here. Let be serious !! At least once. Because people will lose their life.
People can be contagious 14 days prior to having symptoms, so it’s possible individuals are walking around with it, but they are not detectable. And 28 testings is a joke. Everyone entering Dominica by air has to be tested. Why is it not being done?
So what is PM Skerrit waiting on to shut down our borders. Are we waiting to get our first case join the banwargon. Please shut it down sir. God is giving us a chance we can’t deal with this virus in our virgin land.
I have said it before and I therefore repeat that in Dominica we will bury people that died from Coronavirus before we get the authorities to confirm a case. In fact let me be very blunt here. I personally believe that we have buried some who died from coronavirus but just that they were either never tested or, if they were tested the result was not made known to us because we are dealing with Roosevelt Skerrit, the now Minister of information, who took that new position after the Dec 6, 2019 elections, a month after we first heard of the coronavirus in China
Knowing how Skerrit has lied to us before and how he has used foreigners to do his job, I am sorry to say that I don’t one thing the doctor says simply because I believe he was given the job he has by Roosevelt Skerrit. As a born again believer I always search the scriptures before I comment and here is a passage that strengthens my point:
2 Cor. 11:13 -15 “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.”
Since we are dealing with what the doctor says it is ok to temporarily swap the word ‘Apostle’ with doctor.
How do you know that no one in Dominica has the virus?
How many people have you tested?You would be much better off if you said “there are no known person infected as of today.”Dominica is a place where people don’t visits the quacks (so called doctors) until they are ready to die, the virus might well be already there under your nose which you cant smell!The disease is pandemic okay.
I iterate “pandemic;” Dominicans travel the world over, so be careful how you talking objects deal with the issue, it is not good to give people false hope when something could be eating away at the core of society as termites one cannot see until the building falls to the ground.