COVID-19 is no longer the leading respiratory illness in the Cayman Islands, according to Chief Medical Officer Dr. Nick Gent, who says the virus has now ‘settled into the mix’ alongside other common illnesses.
“We do see occasional cases of COVID but we don’t routinely test for it, because it’s no longer the most common respiratory virus infection that we see,” Gent said, stressing that when doctors see patients with respiratory infections, “it could be due to one of four or five different causes”.
According to Gent, the most common respiratory infections in Cayman right now are the cold viruses, particularly rhinoviruses, which typically cause mild colds, and influenza viruses such as influenza A, which can cause more severe illness and complications. These are driving seasonal spikes in illness, particularly as children return to school.
“COVID is now only the third or fourth most frequent cause of respiratory illness here,” he said, adding that most cases tend to be mild. Hospitalisations are rare, with only one or two patients a month, often discovered incidentally when someone is admitted for other reasons.
Dominant variants
The Ministry of Health announced earlier this year that it was monitoring the NB.1.8.1 COVID variant, first detected in Singapore in January and later classified by the World Health Organization as a “variant under monitoring”. Since then, the XFG variant has become the dominant form of the virus in the United States.
Gent noted that, in Cayman, most recent cases remain linked to Omicron.
“The strains of COVID currently circulating are still related to Omicron, which has been the dominant variant for about three years,” he said. “That means people already have a degree of immunity from prior exposure, and the vaccines we use are very well matched to these circulating strains.”
Community urged to be ‘sensible’
While most cases of the cold and COVID-19 resolve without medical intervention, Gent urged the public to exercise caution.
“We do ask people to be sensible,” he said. “If you have a fever and a cough, you shouldn’t be going into work or school. Once your temperature is back to normal, then of course you can return. But don’t get hung up on which infection it is.”
Gent emphasised that annual flu shots and COVID vaccine updates are important not only for individual protection but also for community health, as they reduce the circulation of the virus and protect vulnerable groups.
Cayman will receive updated COVID-19 boosters from the UK in the coming weeks which will be offered alongside the flu vaccine.
“We don’t start flu vaccinations until later in the year because the vaccines are manufactured to match the strains expected to circulate each season,” Gent explained. “We’ll be getting those vaccines in around September, and that’s when we’ll be asking the public to come forward.”
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