BMDA Shares Latest Data on Belize’s COVID Patients

A significant portion of Belizeans suffer from some type of health condition. The latest statistics shared at last week’s Belize Medical and Dental Association’s Annual General Congress reveal a large number of the people dying of COVID in Belize suffer from co-morbidities. President of the BMDA, Dr. Uldine Wright, shared with News Five today what these latest statistics are indicating.

Dr. Uldine Wright, President BMDA

“We were able to get somebody from the Ministry of Health, Mr. Hegar, who did a thorough breakdown of how COVID has been going in Belize. What was a very good eye-opener for us was the fact that co morbidities is one of the biggest factors when it comes to deaths by COVID-19. So we do see that we have the vaccinated and unvaccinated but within these two groups we still see deaths happening and the common factor is co morbidities. So, this was a major eye-opener for us. He went on to give us the data of it and he said that if you have a pre-existing co morbidity and you have COVID-19, you are five point two eight times at higher risk of being hospitalized, if you have a comorbodity. And, one thing that we overlook a lot in Belize is that we have a great incidence of obesity or overweight. Your BMI (Body Mass Index) – the normal is between eighteen and twenty-five, between twenty-five and thirty, you’re overweight, over thirty, you’re obese. And this is something – because it’s so common – we often overlook it. And this is one of the major factors when it comes to being hospitalized and dying from COVID. Another thing was that we’re seeing the majority of our deaths above (age) fifty-three. In the vaccinated group it’s above sixty. A next thing that was really catching was that although we’re seeing breakthrough cases, and even deaths, the fully vaccinated had a thirty-five percent lower rate of that dying from COVID and if you’re vaccinated you have a sixty percent lower chance of going to the hospital with COVID. So, we still do see that the vaccines work and they play a major role. Thankfully, we are starting our booster shots – on Monday we started it – so everybody over sixty or with co morbidities are encouraged to get the booster shots.”