Today's situation of Covid-19 in the Cuban province of Holguin was assessed this week at the seat of the Provincial Government by the Group of Experts that has been confronting this epidemiological period and the high political and government leaders of this territory.
With the participation of Ernesto Santiesteban Velázquez, first secretary of the Party in the province, and governor Julio César Estupiñán Rodríguez, the data of the disease for the last 15 days were presented.
At the opening, it was discussed the start of the vaccination campaign for children and adolescents between 11 and 18 years of age throughout the province, to later focus on the main indicators of the disease.
At the end of week 36, the number of confirmed cases increased by 8.7% compared to week 35. The incidence rate was 451.5 per 100 thousand inhabitants against 414.7 of the previous week, and an average number of daily cases of 659.1 against 605.
The following municipalities increased the number of cases: Báguanos (+188), Cacocum (+ 148), Rafael Freyre (+ 122), Gibara (+100), Banes and Calixto García (+ 99) each, Urbano Noris and Sagua de Tánamo (+84) each, Frank País (+34) and Antilla (+26) and decreases Holguín (-246), Cueto (-186), Mayarí (-92) and Moa (-86).
The territories with the highest rate during the week were: Frank País 786.2 per 100 thousand inhabitants, Sagua 660.2, Urbano Noris 658.9, Cacocum 631.2 and Cueto 622.2.
In the last 15 days, 9,267 cases were confirmed, of which 9,256 were autochthonous for a rate of 906.4 per 100,000 inhabitants and 11 were imported.
As general data, 64.2% of the municipalities register rates above the provincial average, while Moa manages to control transmission and begins to decrease its incidence rate.
The Jorge Fernández de Sagua de Tánamo and Manuel Fajardo de Urbano Noris areas are incorporated with very high rates. And the Jorge Luis Estevanel area of Cueto and Frank País area have increased their rates with respect to the previous week.
They reduce their rates, but they are still high: Rubén Batista of Cacocum, Cesar Fornet and Dario Calzadilla of Banes, René Ramos Latourt of Antilla and Alex Urquiola, Julio Grave, René Ávila, Pedro Díaz Coello, Pedro del Toro, Mario Gutiérrez and Díaz Legrá in Holguín city.
As favorable changes in the control of the epidemic, there is a downward trend in the confirmation of cases, so it is inferred that the peak of the epidemic occurred in week 32 between August 8 and 14.
Severe cases decreased by 10.9% and critical cases by 0.98%. Deaths decreased in the last three weeks up to 19% compared to the previous week and lethality is decreasing, but still higher than the national average.
The incidence curve shows a reduction in exponential growth and the tendency is to flatten out in the next few days and remain at a plateau.
"The population believes due to the latest data that there is an accelerated decrease of the disease and it is not true. These diseases go through a plateau, which depends on a group of factors such as the behavior of the population and timely isolation, among others," said epidemiologist Osmany Puig.
Regarding the first figures of the vaccination process with Abdala in Holguin, the experts will provide data in the next few days on the behavior of the disease in the population over 60 years of age of the head municipality and health personnel, who completed the vaccination schedule and have a period of time capable of generating sufficient antibodies after the 3rd dose of administration. So far, the study shows favorable results and within the parameters presented by the country.
It is important to clarify, and our specialists insist on this, that even if you are immunized, you should go to the health system at the beginning of the symptoms, since there are possibilities of becoming infected.
It is estimated that 15.6% of the population has been infected in the municipality of Holguin, hence the need for accelerated mass vaccination.
"The municipality of Holguin presents preliminary results of the positive impact of vaccination. It is very important to explain to the population that it is necessary to vaccinate those who have not been confirmed with the disease. It is also necessary to vaccinate contacts who did not develop symptoms or people who at the time presented decompensation of some disease.
"It is a safe vaccine and the adverse events are mild and moderate, or not related to the drug in the most severe cases," said Dr. Tania Margarita Cruz Hernández, Vice Minister of Public Health.
"The Protocol includes vital actions related to admissions, their classification and timely isolation. There is concern with the confirmed cases in the pediatric population, for which we already have the vaccines to start this Thursday throughout the province," added Katia María Ochoa, Provincial Health Director in Holguín.
"We need more counseling and communication with post-Covid patients and which medical procedures to follow. We also need to open another group of consultations for these cases, which will gradually increase," said the Governor.
"This meeting allows us to make better decisions in dealing with the disease, as well as a better use of resources. It is also urgent to socialize the Protocol for post-Covid patients, since we receive many calls about it, mainly about the medicines to be used in each case", he added.
"The trends indicate that we are on the right track, and that it is not associated to any chance, but to the work done. But we should not think that the problem has been solved. From now on, we must be careful in the fulfillment of the measures, because Holguín is still in the Epidemic Transmission Phase. On the subject of vaccination, we still lack organization and that can generate more contagions. It is also necessary to complete the vaccination schedules, besides working on the actions in each household to avoid intra-household contagions.
"If a municipality cannot isolate the positive cases, we must look for all the ways to do it in another territory.
"It is also necessary to adopt all measures in the isolation centers with the completion of their medical equipment, hygiene and organization of the same.
"But we must continue to act with rigor in the measures, especially in the physical distancing of our population in the queues, so that the actions of our health specialists and the joint effort of all have better results", detailed Santiesteban Velázquez.
During the rest of the meeting, the update of the Covid-19 Management Protocol and the Communication Action Plan in the current scenario of Covid-19 in Holguín were also evaluated, among other issues.
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