SARS-CoV-2 variants complicate epidemiological situation in Holguín

With the circulation of new mutational variants of the SARS-CoV-2 in the province of Holguín, it is observed in the course of the epidemic that the stages of development of the infectious process in the individual have shortened in time, in addition to a sustained rise in the report of positive cases.

For example, the incubation period of the virus is shorter now. With the original variant of SARS-CoV-2, the average ranged between five to seven days and at the moment it is less than three days. It similarly occurs with the increase in serious and critical forms of the disease, because cell damage in lungs, heart and kidneys begins in the first 24 hours of infection, which speaks of the harshness of the virus.

According to confirmations from the Pedro Kourí Institute of Tropical Medicine, where samples from Holguin patients have been analized, there is circulation in the territory of the South African, Californian, and Indian variants, strains of the latter variant, such as Delta and Delta Plus, which according to preliminary studies it is 60 per cent more transmissible than Alpha, first detected in the UK, which was 50 per cent more infectious than the original.

The statistics of June show the complications faced in this northeastern province, which reported 1,144 positive cases in the period, for a general incidence rate of 112 per 100,000 inhabitants.

The municipalities of Cueto, Holguín and Cacocum have rates above the provincial average, based on the increase in COVID-19 patients, mostly autochthonous.

Faced with the number of cases confirmed to SARS-CoV-2, suspects and contacts, the health system adopted a series of reorganization measures in the hospital network, human resources and enlistment of capacities, to reinforce medical care, according to the classification of patients: confirmed high and low risk and suspect; in addition to the positive contacts.

Holguín now has about 1,500 beds for positives, suspects and under surveillance; while there are around 2,000 beds for contacts, while medical care in provincial hospitals will be strengthened with intensivists and nursing staff from the municipalities.