- St Kitts – Nevis monitoring respiratory illness activity
The Ministry of Health in St Kitts and Nevis said it would continue to conduct rigorous respiratory surveillance to monitor and detect any increase in respiratory infections in the country.
The guarantee comes after the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) urged member countries to maintain surveillance in light of heightened levels of acute respiratory infections in the Americas caused by SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus.
The Ministry of Health makes the following observation: SARS Co-V-2 is now endemic, and Kittitians must learn to live with this sort of respiratory sickness as a society.
There were no laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in December 2023. However, the MOH recorded only seven laboratory-confirmed instances of SARS CoV-2 or COVID-19 between January 1 and 12, 2024, one of which was imported and the patient was flown immediately after hospitalisation.
According to the Ministry of Health, the steady increase in respiratory illness activity is a common annual trend that it is closely monitoring.
It is noted that this trend is fueled by the flu season, a large number of tourists, and large crowds during the Christmas season and funfair events.
Each year, respiratory disease activity typically peaks between January and March.
