Finding Patient Zero or Patient X, the initial person who might have been responsible for the start of COVID-19 in a cluster, will take time.
Senior Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Anton Best, emphasised this as he responded to a question posed by the media at last evening’s press conference at Ilaro Court.
Dr. Best, who reminded media representatives that the country had identified three main clusters as well as many smaller clusters, stressed that the Health Ministry was also doing vigorous contact tracing efforts in order to get to that answer of “who is Patient Zero?”.
“It may take us a few more days; it may take us a few more weeks, but considering the large numbers that we were not dealing with before, that we did not anticipate, you have to give us time. Trust that the work is being done,” he stated.
While noting that additional resources were being allocated to polyclinics doing the contact tracing, Dr. Best said all other systems were being augmented and strengthened in order for the Ministry to better understand what has happened, and so prevent and control further spread of COVID-19 in Barbados.
“So, we don’t have an answer for you as yet, but that is something that we are working towards at the Ministry of Health and Wellness,” the senior health official admitted.