Covid-19 cases may be higher

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THE country may be underestimating the number of Covid-19 cases it has because of the low rate of testing, says Health secretary Dr Osborne Liko.
He said it was a concern for the Health Department which had been urging the provincial health authorities to increase testing in provinces.
Liko said the low number of reported Covid-19 cases and deaths in PNG could be because of the “underestimation due to low testing”.
“Our rates of testing are much lower than most countries,” he said.
“Our low testing rates mean that we are potentially missing cases, and the virus is likely to be far more widespread.
“So we cannot let our guards down. We cannot let the numbers give us a false sense of security.”
He said the number of confirmed cases tended to be higher in provinces which were conducting more testing.
There have been reports of community transmission in West New Britain and the National Capital District while New Ireland, Western and Morobe had “localised community transmission”.
“We are also seeing a steady increase in influenza-like illnesses and severe acute respiratory infections around the country,” Liko said.
“Swabbing and testing these individuals for Covid-19 is rarely done.
“The symptoms are usually the same as what we observe in Covid-19 patients.
“If we don’t test them, we could very likely be missing Covid-19 cases.”
Liko said the department supported by World Health Organisation and partners were working to increase access to Covid-19 testing in all healthcare facilities.
“It is equally important that people experiencing Covid-19 symptoms must seek testing at their nearby health facility,” he said.
Some patients experience no symptoms. Mild cases experience fever, cough, headache and fatigue.
Moderate cases may include breathing difficulty, shortness of breath or mild pneumonia.

One thought on “Covid-19 cases may be higher

  • True. Thats why the cases here are artificially low. No one tests no one! If you want one no e of the clinics or hospitals will do it no matter what the symptoms. Wny? Because it cost too much, too much work, and they all feel its not necessary.

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