In a press conference held this Friday, July 7, Dr. Guillermo Sequera, General Director of Health Surveillance, announced the epidemiological situation with respect to respiratory viruses and arboviruses, which show a significant decrease in cases, although they continue to present and affecting the vulnerable population, mainly.
Regarding Covid-19, it reported a significant decrease in the last week. In the accumulated total of the last eight weeks (EW 19/2023 to EW 26/2023), 1,235 cases were confirmed in 11 of the 18 health regions of the country. The incidence rate of the last 14 days is 2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants per week, mainly affecting the population aged 60 and over (39 cases per 100,000 inhabitants).
“Due to Covid-19, we have seen a very significant decrease in the last week, although every week there are deaths, especially those over 70 to 80 years of age. Covid-19 is not one of the ones that is circulating the most, but it is a virus that continues to admit patients and kill, and it is a virus for which we have a vaccine,” Sequera remarked, encouraging citizens to protect themselves through vaccination.
Regarding the other respiratory viruses, a small decrease is also observed, but they continue.
“In relation to ETIs -influenza-like diseases-, we are above the alert threshold, but with a slight decrease,” he said, recalling that we have a vaccine for influenza A and B and we are still in the vaccination period, within the framework of of the “Winter 2023” campaign, which runs until the 14th of this month.
Likewise, he recalled the importance of the proper use of masks, especially in hospitals, taking into account that patients with diseases such as cancer must take care of infections. “If I am sick with a respiratory virus, I stay home. If I have to go out, I wear a mask to take care of others and avoid spreading the virus, ”he explained, while reiterating the importance of observing the etiquette of coughing and sneezing, as well as ventilating the environments.
With regard to arboviral diseases, he maintained that both dengue and chikungunya show a decrease in cases, although in an almost atypical way for this time of year, perhaps related to weather conditions.
“A month and a half ago, we had more than 400 to 500 confirmed cases of chikungunya. Last week we are closing 100 confirmed cases. It’s still a lot for this time of year. In dengue we see a decrease, but we still have more than 60 cases”, the doctor pointed out, detailing that in hospitalized there is also a significant decrease. Of 150 hospitalizations for chikungunya weeks ago, today there are between 7 and 12. “Last week we have not reported deaths, that is something positive,” he concluded.
2023-07-07 13:52:00
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