COVID-19 convalescent patients, a priority for the Cuban health system
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Between 30% and 40% of convalescent COVID-19 patients need adjustments in their base disease once they recover from the disease, said Dr. Emilio Fidel Buchaca Faxas, president of the Cuban Society of Internal Medicine, who has studied around 80 of these patients to detect possible residual lesions caused by the virus.
“The most serious the person’s condition is, the more prone they are to have complications, and even after a negative PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test result, they can still have symptoms such as cough, chronic fatigue, dyspnea, chest and joint pain, and anxiety, likely to last up to six months.”
Buchaca Faxas also pointed out that the protocol for dealing with convalescents is designed for the first year, so if chronic sequelae are detected they could remain under treatment for a longer time. Treatment is first provided through primary care services, continues in health institutions and then in the community, through the Base Working Group made of psychologists, pediatricians, internists, geriatricians, gynecologists, obstetricians, epidemiologists and rehabilitation specialists.
“If a specialized consultation is required, the municipal and provincial health commissions are responsible for the treatment of people’s transitory or prolonged complications, be they respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, nephrological or digestive. Treating convalescents involves mental health and rehabilitation centers and secondary or tertiary health institutions, in addition to national subordinate entities,” he concluded.
