COVID-19: New protocol measures for diagnosis and treatment
- Written by Lourdes Pichs Rodríguez
- Published in Holguin
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Given the gradual increase of positives to SARS-CoV-2 since the first week of this year and forecasts of a new wave in the world of cases at risk of being infected with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, the province's health system introduced variations to the established protocol in the diagnosis and clinical management of patients confirmed with COVID-19, as well as suspects and first-order contacts of the positives.
According to a document issued by the Provincial Health Directorate (DPS), all children under two years of age and those of pediatric age with an incomplete vaccination schedule or without receiving Cuban immunogens will have criteria for entry into the health care units, regardless of the age and clinical profile.
Infants with risk factors, whose clinical evaluation is dependent on continuous specialized care, will also be hospitalized; in the same way all pregnant and postpartum women; the unvaccinated population, as well as patients, regardless of their age and vaccination status, who, due to their clinical symptoms and comorbidities, require care confinement, after evaluation by the corresponding health unit.
In the case of suspected (clinical and epidemiological) and confirmed patients who are asymptomatic or present mild symptoms, which do not fall into the aforementioned categories, they will enter the home or remain in home isolation and under the surveillance of Primary Health Care (APS).
Dr. Rebeca Robles, a DPS official, explained that "this type of patient is subject to general hygienic-sanitary measures and expectant behavior and vigilance," while explaining that therapeutic pharmacological measures for the current stage and the use of preventive medications to be applied are in correspondence with the indications issued by the National Group of Pediatrics and experts from the province.
Other measures incorporated into this new scenario is the opening of other consultations for the care of people with respiratory infection in health areas, to avoid crowds of the public, in addition to establishing quarantine and restriction of movements in places with outbreaks, on which work must be done to ensure that no suspicious case or direct contact remains without monitiring.
In the first 10 days of January, this territory accumulates 935 patients with an incidence rate of 79.3 per 100,000 inhabitants, which demands greater responsibility on the part of the entire population, first to comply with prevention measures and also with the COVID-19 vaccination.
