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December 13, 202012

STATEMENT from MSJMC Re Recent Death of Hospital Employee Due to COVID-19

St. John’s Antigua, December 13, 2020 – Mount St. John’s Medical Centre confirms that a healthcare worker has died after contracting COVID-19.

The patient, a forty-six (46) year old female hospital employee who has been on vacation since mid November, was admitted to the hospital on December 10, with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.(ARDS). As a part of enhanced protocols for patients with ARDS at the hospital, a swab test for COVID-19 was done which confirmed our diagnosis. The patient was stabilized and transferred to the Infectious Disease Centre (IDC) for monitoring. Over the next forty-eight (48) hours, the patient’s symptoms began worsening, at which time she was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at MSJMC where she continued in respiratory failure and ultimately succumbed to her illness.

“We want to extend our condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the patient”, said Dr. Albert Duncan, MSJMC Medical Director.

“I urge the media and the public to respect their privacy at this difficult time. Our hospital along with other healthcare authorities will continue our efforts to interrupt the transmission of this virus. It will take all of us, collectively to succeed. We urge everyone to please continue to follow public health advice.”

Mount St. John’s Medical Centre shares this information in order to remain transparent to our MSJMC family and the community, but our information is limited to honor the privacy

We do not know the source of the infection with certainty. However, as with all positive COVID-19 cases, the appropriate public health officials are doing the necessary contact tracing.

PM Browne: I was informed earlier today, that we had another COVID fatality. The transmission was from a returning national, who exposed her mother to the virus, by not adhering to the health protocols. SMDH