Cayman’s adherence to COVID-19 protocols has led to a more than 50% drop in flu cases, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Samuel Williams-Rodriguez has said.
Williams-Rodriguez, speaking on the Cayman Compass weekly show The Resh Hour on Wednesday, 25 Nov., said he was pleased to see the reduction in cases.
“We were surprised initially because of the drastic drop in the numbers. We were averaging in the Cayman Islands between 85 to 115 or a week, but during the peak of the flu season we were getting more than 200 cases per week and we have dropped to the point now in November … averaging 20 cases per week,” he said.
According to Health Services Authority data last year, flu cases in September averaged 104 per week, 137 per week in October, and 123 per week in November. This year, however, flu cases in September averaged 24 per week, 36 per week in October and 20 per week for the first three weeks of November.
Williams-Rodriguez said he expects the low numbers to continue throughout the flu season.
“We will see when we get to December and January, which are actually the two months where we get into the thick of the flu season, but I don’t expect this number to be even close to what we’ve have in previous years,” he said.
Why the numbers dropped
- Social distancing
- Use of masks
- Better hand hygiene
- Less ill visitors
- People stay home when ill
He attributed the sharp decline in cases to health protocols.
“Mainly, the social distancing, the use of masks, hand hygiene that we have been advocating for so many years, finally I think is getting through to individuals and they are actually practising hand hygiene on a regular basis,” he said.
Another factor that cannot be ignored, he said, is the fact that Cayman is receiving fewer visitors.
“Less people are coming to the island, so, less people are coming to the island with flu-like symptoms and then spreading the disease,” he said, adding that he would still advise people to take the flu vaccine which is available for free via the Health Services Authority.
In January and February this year, the weekly averages for flu cases were 162 and 179, respectively. December recorded 141 cases per week last year. Cayman ended 2019 with 6,474 cases of influenza-like illnesses – an average of 125 cases per week.
Flu symptoms
- Fever* or feeling feverish/chills
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Muscle or body aches
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Some people may have vomiting and diarrhoea, though this is more common in children than adults.
- *It’s important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever.
–Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
HSA CEO Lizzette Yearwood, who also appeared on the talkshow, said even though the number of cases is low, it is important to continue to guard against spreading the flu.
“When persons have flu symptoms, we can’t just assume that it’s just the common flu. We have to make sure that we protect them just in case they may be infected with the COVID virus as well. So at the HSA, we encourage people who have flu symptoms, who need to access the healthcare services, to call ahead,” she said.
The public, she said, should use the flu hotline to call ahead and let HSA staff know that they have flu symptoms and “we can help them navigate into the necessary services that they require”.
She also advised the public to get their flu shots, which are available free at all public health facilities.
During last year’s flu season, approximately 4,500 doses of the flu vaccine were administered. A total of 4,000 doses were procured this year, and as of 26 Nov., some 3,900 flu jabs had been administered.
An additional 2,000 doses have been ordered, Yearwood said, although the time of arrival has not yet been ascertained.
She said the HSA will reopen its flu clinic on 1 Dec. to allow patients with flu-like symptoms to seek medical care away from the general patient population.
The clinic will be located in the old physiotherapy area to the right of the Accident and Emergency department at the Cayman Islands Hospital.
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