COVID-19 press briefing with COVID-19 Public Advisor David Ellis featuring Dr. Corey Forde, Dr. Kenneth George, and Dr. Adanna Grandison – September 29, 2021. (PMO)

First Vice President of the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP), Dr. Adanna Grandison, has made a call for persons residing in Barbados to know their COVID-19 status.

She made the appeal, while explaining the soon to be implemented home quarantine and isolation programme, during a press conference held at Ilaro Court, this morning.

Dr. Grandison stated that now is the time to normalise testing. “I think it is important that we ask you, I’m asking, begging you, really, to essentially present early; get tested. If you’ve noticed a change in your presentation of what you know is your baseline, go out and get tested. Know your status.”

While acknowledging that some persons are hesitant to get tested because of the uncomfortableness of the test, she encouraged persons to be brave and to get tested. 

“The test is not a painful test; it is uncomfortable. I would admit it almost feels like if you’ve gone to the beach and salt water has gone into the back of your nose and it start to feels a little uncomfortable for a few seconds, and that’s temporary; after a few seconds that goes,” she stated.

The new Consultant Manager of Home Quarantine pointed out that unknown COVID-19 statuses and presenting at medical facilities too late with severe symptoms could impact the care administered to persons.

“If you start to get some symptoms, we can identify you early. We can intervene as healthcare professionals early, and offer you the best possible chance of not getting worse.  If you present to hospital, very very late, or you present for testing very very late, where you have lots of symptoms now, feeling short of breath, … then it’s very very very difficult for health care professionals to really help you a lot, as much as we would like to,” she said.

Dr. Grandison also took the time to share the concept of how ‘protected’ a person becomes once they receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

She explained that with receipt of the first dose from a two-course, a person receives “partial protection and that usually takes approximately 14 days”. 

The new Consultant Manager of Home Quarantine continue: “We still need for the body to recognise what is foreign in the body, and essentially start to try to get at that foreign entity and kill it, within the human body.

“Vaccines are really used to pique the immune system, and so, after the first dose we have that response. And then essentially for the two-dose shot, we’ll give another dose that will, again, ask the body: ‘Are you sure you’re ready? Recognise who this is. Let’s see how quickly you will respond the second time around.’  And so, for the second shot, that will also take approximately two weeks to mount a response.” 

Dr. Grandison also urged Barbadians to continue following the protocols in place – to wear their mask above their nose; wash their hands and practise physical distancing. 

sheena.forde-craigg@barbados.gov.bb

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