Data reveals COVID-19 links

The Ministry of Health has identified a cluster of 20 COVID-19 cases with direct connections to one another.

The data shows that of the 20, 12 are healthcare workers. The first case in the cluster was announced on March 29 and the last case was announced last Thursday.

The data is documented in a graph detailing the chains of transmission – or connections among people who tested positive for COVID-19.

The ministry identified 15 chains where spreading among cases occurred.

When the graph was assembled, there were only 72 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 11 deaths. Since its release, eight more cases were announced.

In all, the ministry documented the spread of COVID-19 among 57 of those 72 cases. The other 15 cases had no known connections to any other case.

But officials have noted that the data will evolve as testing increases and new cases are found.

Minister of Health Dr. Duane Sands said the chains do not denote who originally spread the virus, but merely which cases are connected.

The largest chain is identified as number eight and includes the 20 people.

Chain eight starts with case 12, a 41-year-old female healthcare worker from New Providence.

This cluster includes: case 16, a 61-year-old woman from Grand Bahama; case 18, a 72-year-old medical worker who died – later identified as Dr. Judson Eneas; case 22, a 79-year-old man who died, who was later identified as Stafford Coakley; case 25, a 57-year-old woman; case 26, a 71-year-old woman; case 30, a 54-year-old woman; and case 35, a 71-year-old woman.

It also includes: case 42, a 53-year-old man; case 44, a 58-year-old man; case 50, a 38-year-old woman who is a healthcare worker; case 51, a 48-year-old woman who is a healthcare worker; case 52, a 33-year-old woman who is a healthcare worker; case 54, a 93-year-old woman; case 57, a 37-year-old woman who is a healthcare worker; case 58, a 22-year-old woman who is a healthcare worker; case 66, a 28-year-old woman who is a healthcare worker; case 67, a 33-year-old man who is a healthcare worker.

The last two cases connected to chain eight are two healthcare workers: case 71, a 29-year-old woman, and case 72, a 50-year-old woman.

The second largest cluster is in chain 22. It includes cases 37, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65 and 68, who are all men.

Case 37 is a 60-year-old. Case 60, a 53-year-old, died.

Cases 61 to 64 include a 56-year-old, a 66-year-old, a 52-year-old and a 51-year-old who died.

Case 65 is a 34-year-old and case 68, who died, was a 65-year-old.

Only two of the three men who died in this cluster died because of the virus. Case 68 died with the virus and not because of it, The Nassau Guardian was told.

Dr. Merceline Dahl-Regis, consultant to the prime minister, noted that the clusters are occurring at work sites and various places.

“It is busy, but what you see are the total number of chains,” she said on April 23.

“So, a chain brings together all those cases that are connected.”

She added, “These chains are evolving and would not be static. In a week’s time, I will show you another cluster of cases. This is how the surveillance unit is monitoring each case and each possible chain – the linkages that are occurring.”

Eight new cases were announced since the graph was released.

On Friday, officials announced a 33-year-old New Providence woman tested positive for COVID-19; on Saturday, they announced five females of Bimini, including two girls, tested positive; and yesterday they announced two New Providence women, ages 49 and 23, tested positive.

In total, 48 of the 80 cases are females and 32 are males.

 Seven of the 11 people who died because of the virus are men.

The start

The first chain includes the country’s first four cases of the virus, two of whom are healthcare workers.

Chain three includes case six, a 42-year-old man, and case seven, a 26-year-old woman.

Chain four includes case eight, a 53-year-old man who is a healthcare worker, and case 24, a 10-year-old girl.

Chain 12 includes case 17, a 67-year-old woman who died, and case 33, a 66-year-old woman.

Chain 13 includes case 19, a 59-year-old man, and case 36, a 41-year-old woman.

Chain 15 includes case 21, a 56-year-old woman from Bimini, whom authorities have identified as Kim Johnson-Rolle, the first person to die from COVID-19 in The Bahamas.

The data shows that there is a possible link involving Johnson-Rolle and case 69, a 63-year-old woman from Bimini, and case 70, a 78-year-old man from Bimini.

Chain 18 is made up of cases 28, a 51-year-old woman, and 29, a 48-year-old woman.

Chain 19 includes case 31, a 50-year-old man who died, and case 53, a 38-year-old woman.

Cases 32 and 39, a 62-year-old woman and 44-year-old man, make up chain 20.

Chain 21 is made up of case 34, a 44-year-old man, and case 45, a 49-year-old woman.

Officials say case 38, a 44-year-old woman, and case 48, a 40-year-old woman, are connected. They make up chain 23.

Chain 24 includes case 40, a 51-year-old woman on Grand Bahama who died, and case 43, a 25-year-old man from Grand Bahama.

Chain 30 includes case 56, a 69-year-old woman, and case 59, a 67-year-old man.

The latest data from the ministry shows that of the 80 cases, 22 recovered.

A total of 792 people, who had some form of contact with the positive cases, are in quarantine.

Over 200 of them are healthcare workers, the ministry has said.

On Saturday, the ministry tested nearly 180 healthcare workers.

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source https://thenassauguardian.com/2020/04/27/data-reveals-covid-19-links/