Suspected COVID-19 Admission at TCI Hospital
JOINT PRESS RELEASE FROM TCI HOSPITAL AND TCI GOVERNMENT
(Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – Thursday, 2 April, 2020): The Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital wishes to advise that there was another admission of a suspected COVID-19 patient at Cheshire Hall Medical Centre.
On April 1st 2020, a middle-aged male who is now classified as a suspected case of COVID-19 was admitted to the facility. This classification was made on the basis that the patient presented with severe acute respiratory infection and had no recent travel history.
The patient was transported to the emergency department via private vehicle. The patient is currently receiving supportive clinical care. The public health team was notified and a sample was collected for overseas testing. Due to patient confidentiality no further details can be released.
The Turks and Caicos Islands Government - Ministry of Health Team commenced immediate contact tracing and persons identified in the process are required to undergo quarantine and/or screening as a precautionary measure.
A travel history is no longer needed to meet the criteria for COVID-19 given the closure of national borders. A suspected case is someone who meets any of the following revised case definitions:
(a) A patient who presents with acute respiratory illness (fever and at least one sign/symptom of respiratory disease (e.g., cough, shortness of breath), and with no other etiology that fully explains the clinical presentation.
(b) A patient who presents with any acute respiratory illness and having been in contact with a confirmed or probable COVID-19 case in the last 14 days prior to onset of symptoms.
(c) A patient who presents with severe acute respiratory infection (fever and at least one sign/symptom of respiratory disease (e.g., cough, shortness breath) and requiring hospitalization and with no other etiology that fully explains the clinical presentation.
A probable case is a suspected case for whom testing for COVID-19 is inconclusive. A confirmed case is a person with laboratory confirmation of COVID-19 contagion, irrespective of clinical signs and symptoms.
The Ministry of Health is working closely with the TCI Hospital in regard to the matter.