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Stay at home is the only efective vacine so far

New positive cases for SARS-CoV-2 were confirmed in this eastern Cuban province, according to authorities from the Ministry of Public Health. Las Tunas, Cuba.- Thus, the territory totals 11 cases, although it maintains one of the lowest prevalence of the disease for every 100,000 inhabitants. In unison, surveillance of national travelers continues.

Dr. Diego Álvarez Dopazo, director of the Provincial Center for Hygiene, Epidemiology and Microbiology, explained that one of the cases is a 28-year-old female patient, resident in the town of Delicias, from the Rafael Izquierdo health area, who remained at the Raymundo Castro pediatric hospital with her son, who on April 13 admitted with a non-specific febrile syndrome.

Three days later, he said, the infant began with respiratory manifestations and was transferred to the ward destined for the treatment of those diseases. There, the PCR was performed to the child, as well as on all the cases of respiratory infections, according to the protocols, and whose result is still pending. On the 17th, this patient also underwent the PCR as the companion of her son and within the focus control of the six-month-old boy who was confirmed positive in recent days.

Álvarez Dopazo stressed that immediately the Health personnel began to delve into the epidemiological survey and 58 contacts have already been isolated; eight of them within the hospital, of which seven tested negative and one is still pending. In total, 17 cases have been investigated with real-time PCR tests: 15 negative and two waiting for the results; the rest remain admitted for the exams.

It has also been learned that on April 1 this patient had contact with a friend who had previously traveled to the Centro Habana municipality in the country's capital. All contacts were isolated in the centers for this purpose.

The other case is a 30-year-old patient residing in the Romárico Oro health area, also in the municipality of Puerto Padre. The Director of the Provincial Center for Hygiene, Epidemiology and Microbiology explained that she reported that on April 14 she had a cough that disappeared immediately. The next day, she arrived at the pediatric hospital with her son, who was admitted to the respiratory ward. On the 16th, the real-time PCR was applied to the child as part of the protocol. This young mother is also part of the focus control that was carried out on April 17 around the six-month-old infant mentioned above.

During her epidemiological survey, it was revealed that she had contact with a friend who arrived from Uruguay on March 21 that was under surveillance by primary health care. Although this person's fast kit was negative, he has been isolated and the nasopharyngeal exudate was performed.

Both mothers were referred to the hospital set up to care for these patients in Holguín and they maintain a good general condition and no symptoms. Dr. Diego Álvarez Dopazo clarified that although both mothers maintained a closeness with the six-month-old baby previously confirmed as positive, other sources of contagion linked to contacts with travelers they have referred are not ruled out.

COVID-19 in Las Tunas

ATTENTION TO NATIONAL TRAVELERS

The head of the Provincial Center of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Microbiology expressed that travelers who still arrive from other provinces are evaluated upon their arrival at the checkpoints, especially if they come from territories with a higher incidence of COVID-19 such as Havana, Matanzas, Villa Clara or Holguín.

Such analysis, he affirmed, is carried out to guarantee greater protection for the inhabitants of the province and also to assure these people a study and clinical observation in the isolation centers.

"They are watched for 14 days with the particularity that they are interprovincial travelers. The rapid diagnostic test is applied to all of them and in the event that any symptoms appear, they are transferred to the centers for suspicious cases,” he concluded.

Although mass transportation in both state and private vehicles has been completely suspended, it is still legal - at least in Las Tunas - for the transfer of people in private ones. Meanwhile, public transport is intended only for the essential workers for the maintenance of basic services and internal order.