–samples may have been compromised affecting ‘true result’- medical sources
Health officials have announced that the six-year-old female Linden resident, who succumbed at the Linden Hospital Complex on Wednesday after experiencing severe respiratory complications, had not been infected with COVID-19.
Medical Superintendent (ag) at the above-mentioned hospital, Joseph London, hours ago declared that the results from the test that was conducted on the remains of the deceased child to ascertain if she had contracted the virus, were negative.
However, medical sources had pointed out that the samples taken from the deceased were done some 36 hours after she had been placed in the morgue. Such an act could have affected the ‘true result’ since the samples may have been compromised.
The test was done after health professionals at the Linden Hospital Complex had reported that prior to the young girl’s death she had demonstrated severe symptoms associated with COVID-19.
According to London, the child was rushed to the emergency room suffering from respiratory challenges and by the time the medical staff there were able to transport her to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), she died.
The six-year-old had been taken to the Linden Hospital Complex after she had experienced a mild fever coupled with shortness of breath and abdominal pains.
“While we were waiting to transfer her, she was not maintaining oxygen over 70, which made her unstable for transfer. She was resuscitated to a comfortable level and her condition continued to worsen resulting in her dying. Her condition was suspicious; however, we were unable to conduct a test on her,” Dr London had earlier reported.
A few days ago, Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO), Dr. Karen Boyle, had also warned that because the body was taken to the morgue prior to the test being conducted, there was a possibility that taking samples from the body posthumously could end up with a negative result .
She cautioned that even if the results turned out to be negative this would not mean that the girl wasn’t positive in having had COVID-19 prior to her demise.
“It was important for the medical staff to have tested her within 24 hours after she would have died but taking into account that she may have already been taken to the morgue where she is in the fridge, I am not sure if the samples being taken off will yield the proper results.”
