THE Prime Minister has said Trinidad and Tobago has a reasonable case/fatality ratio (CFR) among its covid19 patients that ranks it at 44th in the world.
The WHO website says the CFR is "the proportion of individuals diagnosed with a disease who die from that disease, and is therefore a measure of severity among detected cases."
Dr Rowley was in the House of Representatives on Monday replying to a question on notice by Naparima MP Rodney Charles, who asked if the PM was concerned that TT, with almost similar climatic, demographic, and social characteristics as its Caricom neighbours, has one of the highest rates of covid19 deaths per capita in the world.
Rowley in reply scoffed that TT's fatalities would have been much worse if the Government had heeded opposition advice to use sunshine against covid19.
He said the CFR was a global standard found by comparing the number of deaths by the number of positive cases.
"We are not considered to have the highest case fatality rate in Caricom.
"Our CFR is 2.98, with the global case fatality rate varying considerably, based on the point in time it is calculated and the methodology used by different countries to ascribe cases and deaths. The range goes from 0.1 to 19.5, with our CFR of 2.98 placing us 44th in the world and 51st in deaths per capita."
Rowley said the premise of Charles's question was entirely inaccurate.
"Our demographic profile is entirely different to the rest of Caricom and we have one of the highest rates of NCDs (non-communicable diseases) in Caricom, incidentally."
Charles asked if the PM was aware that data from Johns Hopkins University placed TT first in the world per capita for covid19 deaths.
Rowley replied,"These things have been varying for the past two years and our (opposition) colleagues are only concerned where we are when they think we are in a bad position. When we are in a good position they dismiss it.
"Covid has been varying with respect to its level of infection, spikes and deaths.
"We, Madam Speaker, this Government, the people of TT, have been there in the 'ups' and the 'downs' and we are going to fight this battle and win it, like every other country."
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