COVID-19 in Trinidad & Tobago (Local Updates & Discussions Only)

[K74T]

PM press conference at 2:30 PM tomorrow.

[MaxPower]

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said the country has asked for COVID-19 vaccines from COVAX, a global collaboration initiative designed to bring the much-needed vaccine to world countries.

Speaking in Parliament today during his presentation on the 2021 Budget, Deyalsingh said the move was approved by Cabinet decision and Cabinet note to invest US$9 million or TT$66 million for the purchase of 462,000 vaccines, enough for 33 per cent of the population:

‘Trinidad and Tobago has joined the COVAX facility, which is to provide participating countries with a safe and effective vaccine in an equitable manner [meaning] regardless of a country’s income or status.’

Deyalsingh said the vaccines, once available, would be issued in tranches, and the first tranche would be administered to frontline workers, the elderly and others at highest risk for infection:

‘Government, by Cabinet note and Cabinet decision, has allocated US$9,741,236 or $66,142,999.23 for the purchase of vaccines.’

Deyalsingh said the payment has been directed toward investments in various research companies currently working on vaccines.

'The monies will be invested in a portfolio of candidates. Some of the candidate manufacturers are Sinovac, Sinopharm, the University of Oxford, AstraZeneca, Novavax, Moderna and others.'

He said the initial tranche of 280,000 vaccines will go toward those most at risk.

‘The Cabinet note asked COVAX that we would like to have vaccines to vaccinate 33 per cent of the population [which is] about 462,000 persons. However because the COVAX facility is built on equity no one country can get all the vaccines at once. A country with 300 million people will not get 300 million doses of vaccines.’

‘What COVAX will do, regardless of the amount you have ordered, they will deliver in your first tranche 20 per cent of vaccines to correspond with 20 per cent of your population. So in the first instance we will get 280,000 vaccines.’

He said those will go initially to health care workers, the elderly and immunocompromised who are most at risk.

He said in the second tranche government would receive the remaining 182,000 vaccines.

Additionally, Deyalsingh said outside of COVAX, government is also in talks with a China's state-owned Sinopharm regarding vaccines.

He noted that the vaccines require refrigeration and said government is reviewing the construction of specially built, walk-in, storage chillers, which will be solar and diesel powered:

'One or two of the vaccines in trials have to be stored at minus 60 [degrees Celsius]. What we're doing right now is looking at the range of storage conditions for the vaccines to build three purpose-built walk-in chillers, to keep them off site, backed up with solar energy and diesel. All that is being prepared now.'

He said the move is necessary as the Ministry is at capacity with the storage of flu vaccines which are due to be given out this year.



About COVAX

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the COVAX Facility forms a key part of the COVAX pillar (COVAX) of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, a ground-breaking global collaboration to accelerate the development, production, and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines.

COVAX is co-led by Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and WHO, working in partnership with developed and developing country vaccine manufacturers.

COVAX aims to accelerate the development and manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines, and to guarantee fair and equitable access for every country in the world.

WHO says the goal of COVAX is by the end of 2021 to deliver two billion doses of safe, effective vaccines that have passed regulatory approval and/or WHO prequalification.

These vaccines will be delivered equally to all participating countries, proportional to their populations, initially prioritising healthcare workers then expanding to cover 20% of the population of participating countries.

Further doses will then be made available based on country need, vulnerability and COVID-19 threat.

WHO says the COVAX Facility will also maintain a buffer of doses for emergency and humanitarian use, including dealing with severe outbreaks before they spiral out of control.

[MaxPower]

So a vaccine is costing the state about $143ttd.

Due to the continued and blatant irresponsibility of Trinis, the Govt should implement a mandatory Covid Tax of $250 per person, excluding minors.

[shake d livin wake d dead]

Its been a while since Ive posted here but I see allyuh continuing to swallow the gobar normal normal. The following is another scenario which depicts how lies upon lies and being told on a daily basis and imo all ah dem could hull deh mc.

So a female friend of the family died from "covid". It gets sheity here, he began experiencing pain in her stomach so she decided to visit mt.hope to have a checked(no symptoms at all eh). They did the xray and saw a large unknown area which led to them having to cut the patient to get a sample so a biopsy could be done.

She spent at least 8 days in the hospital and on the 9th day they came to her and said he was covid +...At least 3 days later she died...

Carry on

[Kenjo]

Its been a while since Ive posted here but I see allyuh continuing to swallow the gobar normal normal. The following is another scenario which depicts how lies upon lies and being told on a daily basis and imo all ah dem could hull deh mc.

So a female friend of the family died from "covid". It gets sheity here, he began experiencing pain in her stomach so she decided to visit mt.hope to have a checked(no symptoms at all eh). They did the xray and saw a large unknown area which led to them having to cut the patient to get a sample so a biopsy could be done.

She spent at least 8 days in the hospital and on the 9th day they came to her and said he was covid +...At least 3 days later she died...

Carry on

A plain Xray alone and in 13 days she dead ?

[paid_influencer]

well they did a biopsy, so some serious health concerns from the start.

[paid_influencer]

PM press conference at 2:30 PM tomorrow.

here's so hoping the beach ban gets removed. we could lime by the bar, but liming by the beach is banned. time to fix that

[redmanjp]

PM press conference at 2:30 PM tomorrow.

here's so hoping the beach ban gets removed. we could lime by the bar, but liming by the beach is banned. time to fix that

d problem is when ppl rush d same day a ban is lifted or the day before it is put in place and crowd the beach is when spread could happen

[Strugglerzinc]

PM press conference at 2:30 PM tomorrow.

here's so hoping the beach ban gets removed. we could lime by the bar, but liming by the beach is banned. time to fix that

d problem is when ppl rush d same day a ban is lifted or the day before it is put in place and crowd the beach is when spread could happen

Who say first lap lime Sunday ??

[paid_influencer]

just open it on a Tuesday. Nobody goes to beach on a Tuesday.

i mean we have to open up at some point. if we don't open up now, what exactly are we waiting on? In the mean time, feel free to lime by the bar, but not the sea.

[redmanjp]

Long term Covid

Symptom Duration and Risk Factors for Delayed Return to Usual Health Among Outpatients with COVID-19

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32730...

US CDC

Random sample of 292 adults who had tested positive

35% of 274 symptomatic respondents, not returned to usual health 14 – 16 days after testing

18 – 34 year olds

N = 85, 26%. (74% returned to normal)

35-49 years

N = 96, 32% (68% returned to normal)

50 and older

N = 89, 47% (53% returned to normal)

Post–intensive care syndrome

6 – 12 months, cognitive, mental health, physical function

Persistent Symptoms in Patients After Acute COVID-19 (JAMA, July 2020, Rome)

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama...

143 patients discharged from the hospital

18 patients (12.6%) were completely free of any COVID-19–related symptoms after a mean of 60 days

Therefore 87.4 not returned to full normal

Manifestations

None of the patients had fever or any signs or symptoms of acute illness

Worsened quality of life, 44.1%

Pathogenesis

Direct tissue invasion by the virus

The virus clears from most of the body, but lingers in some small pockets

If there's long-term diarrhoea then you find the virus in the gut, if there's loss of smell it is in the nerves - so that could be what's causing the problem (Tim Spector)

Metabolic effects

New-Onset Diabetes in Covid-19

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2018688

COVID induced diabetes

Profound inflammation and cytokine storm

Immune system does not return to normal

https://www.immunology.org/sites/default/files/BSI_Briefing_Note_August_2020_FINAL.pdf

Ongoing immunological effects

Organ damage

Seen in MERS and SARS

https://www.medicaljournals.se/jrm/co...

Lung function abnormalities

Psychological impairment

Reduced exercise capacity

Brain alterations

Cerebral Micro-Structural Changes in COVID-19 Patients. An MRI-based 3-month Follow-up Study

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(20)30228-5/fulltext

Hypercoagulable state

Blood vessel damage

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-54296223

Possible inflammation of coronary arteries

[bluefete]

Growley live now.

90 deaths

Couva - 5 ICU / 4 HDU

Arima - 3 ICU

[bluefete]

Gatherings increased to no more than 10 people. WOW.

Funerals 20 people.

More flights between T&T from 2 to 6 flights per day with spacing in-flight.

[matr1x]

no vaccines for venes. Heard local doctors will look at the crowd and tell the venes, the supply for the day finish. Well done docs!

[screwbash]

rum shop closed for the next two weeks. check them bars in san juan they feel they smart and still going full force.

[redmanjp]

Gatherings increased to no more than 10 people. WOW.

Funerals 20 people.

More flights between T&T from 2 to 6 flights per day with spacing in-flight.

He say funerals compliant but d funerals I see on d news always have 20 to 30 ppl. Funeral homes need to organize something virtual for ppl to pay respects. It can't be that everyone coming to crowd d place with the end result being more funerals when someone vulnerable gets infected. 10 is enough for the immediate family to gather.

[Kenjo]

Gatherings increased to no more than 10 people. WOW.

Funerals 20 people.

More flights between T&T from 2 to 6 flights per day with spacing in-flight.

He say funerals compliant but d funerals I see on d news always have 20 to 30 ppl. Funeral homes need to organize something virtual for ppl to pay respects. It can't be that everyone coming to crowd d place with the end result being more funerals when someone vulnerable gets infected. 10 is enough for the immediate family to gather.

Virtual funerals going on a couple years now . If a relative can’t stream it then the people who might watch it unlikely to handle that technology since they are most likely older

[Dohplaydat]

Gatherings increased to no more than 10 people. WOW.

Funerals 20 people.

More flights between T&T from 2 to 6 flights per day with spacing in-flight.

He say funerals compliant but d funerals I see on d news always have 20 to 30 ppl. Funeral homes need to organize something virtual for ppl to pay respects. It can't be that everyone coming to crowd d place with the end result being more funerals when someone vulnerable gets infected. 10 is enough for the immediate family to gather.

If everyone wears good masks, properly no one should be infected at a funeral.

[pugboy]

caroni cremation site def don’t follow those rules

[redmanjp]

So we going to remain at 50 cases per day and 1 death per day till Christmas and New Years. Going to 10 ppl I a group certainly not going to bring down those numbers if they were remaining at that level.

And 1 death per day means we looking at about double the number of deaths by the end of the year at around 170.

With bars, churches, dining in and beaches closed d only areas of spread is perhaps within those 1800 or so homes with Covid + persons, as well as the antimaskers on the streets. I think that fine should double to $2000 on the first instance then $10000 after. Jail if you doh pay.

[paid_influencer]

bucco reef tours open but going by the beach still banned... okay then

[redmanjp]

bucco reef tours open but going by the beach still banned... okay then

PM stated that you can't wear a mask while bathing as it gets wet, thus that has to be restricted. But if you on a boat you can wear a mask. By now ppl should realize that that mask is critical and that the activites that are restricted are mostly the ones where mask wearing is not possible, with the only exception being places of worship which I thought he would have given some consideration to but it also happens to be a place where a lot of older vulnerable people are so I understand that.

[paid_influencer]

So we going to remain at 50 cases per day and 1 death per day till Christmas and New Years. Going to 10 ppl I a group certainly not going to bring down those numbers if they were remaining at that level.

And 1 death per day means we looking at about double the number of deaths by the end of the year at around 170.

With bars, churches, dining in and beaches closed d only areas of spread is perhaps within those 1800 or so homes with Covid + persons, as well as the antimaskers on the streets. I think that fine should double to $2000 on the first instance then $10000 after. Jail if you doh pay.

I have started something new to help with the anxiety. I take half a hour every morning, write down what I'm worried about with a score out of 10, and write down the most appropriate response. For the rest of the day, remind myself not to worry any more because I already worried about it this morning.

this is a good article, especially in these covid time. When any lil sneeze seems like it could be something far worse. As the CMO said, today is world mental health day and 1 in 4 folks here have a mental health issue.
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/how- ... rt-s-guide

Right now I've come to the conclusion that the numbers are just numbers and I've personally done everything I can do to reduce my risk. There's no point worrying because there I already worried about it enough and put measures in place. I fully ready to go to the beach once these dotish restrictions are removed and the crowds have gone down. Time to "dominate the virus," as one great leader put it.

[bluefete]

Prior to the wine and jam elections (August 10th), the rates were decent (even if they were under-reporting).

Even when the beaches were re-opened, you did not hear about people getting Covid from going there.

With bars and so on closed, why are the rates still spiking? Clearly not because of the bars and so on.

Anyways, I understand the arguments but every so often, I wonder about what really is.

[Numb3r4]

Did the woman die of COVID-19 or the condition related to the biopsy?

What is really happening inside our hospitals?

Can no-one take a quick pic?
Has the backlog been cleared up are we testing at the real rate of admissions?

[redmanjp]

Prior to the wine and jam elections (August 10th), the rates were decent (even if they were under-reporting).

Even when the beaches were re-opened, you did not hear about people getting Covid from going there.

With bars and so on closed, why are the rates still spiking? Clearly not because of the bars and so on.

Anyways, I understand the arguments but every so often, I wonder about what really is.

but the wine and jam elections also over-exactly 2 months now today being the 10th October -there is a decrease due to the current restrictions but it is remaining at 50 cases per day average. when the beaches were opened we had 0 community cases, perhaps we managed to eradicate the virus by the complete lockdown from march to may- and something happened in july related to our porous borders

the spread could simply be in the homes of the 1700-1800 or so Covid + persons. How disciplined is the average person when it comes to wearing masks AT HOME if u have a family member who is infected? there is bound to be spread if u among them for 24 hours a day. but unfortunately we doh have space for them in state facilities- what we go do?

[sMASH]

Prior to the wine and jam elections (August 10th), the rates were decent (even if they were under-reporting).

Even when the beaches were re-opened, you did not hear about people getting Covid from going there.

With bars and so on closed, why are the rates still spiking? Clearly not because of the bars and so on.

Anyways, I understand the arguments but every so often, I wonder about what really is.

but the wine and jam elections also over-exactly 2 months now today being the 10th October -there is a decrease due to the current restrictions but it is remaining at 50 cases per day average. when the beaches were opened we had 0 community cases, perhaps we managed to eradicate the virus by the complete lockdown from march to may- and something happened in july related to our porous borders

the spread could simply be in the homes of the 1700-1800 or so Covid + persons. How disciplined is the average person when it comes to wearing masks AT HOME if u have a family member who is infected? there is bound to be spread if u among them for 24 hours a day. but unfortunately we doh have space for them in state facilities- what we go do?

lol

[redmanjp]

For all who are suggesting to just let the virus run through the population to achieve herd immunity.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-19-spread-herd-immunity-unethical-who-chief-says/

[Duane 3NE 2NR]

No update from the Ministry today?

[paid_influencer]

No update from the Ministry today?

15 cases, 2 new deaths
https://www.facebook.com/tttliveonline/ ... 1261425610

numbers not really matching up, but okay