Following a decision by the Coroner’s Office to carry out COVID-19 testing on persons who died suddenly in the community, the Ministry of Health and Wellness has reported that the total number of COVID-19-related deaths in Barbados has increased.
The test results from the Coroner’s Office have identified an additional 43 COVID-19-related deaths, which occurred over the last six months. These persons died in the community before being tested or accessing appropriate care. The total number of COVID-19-related deaths therefore, as at March 28, 2022, stands at 374.
The positive results were obtained from tests carried out by the Coroner’s Office on the suspicion that their sudden demise may have been attributed to COVID-19.
The policy of the Coroner’s Office is to rule out COVID-19 as the likely cause of death since autopsies cannot be performed on persons who are known to have died from or with COVID-19.
It must, however, be noted that, in all cases, the primary cause of death may not have been COVID-19, but this diagnosis was found at the time of death.
The Ministry of Health and Wellness stated that it was seeking to provide the public of Barbados with accurate information as it relates to COVID-19 to ensure that informed choices are made in the interest of everyone’s health.