Costa Rica’s Ministry of Health confirmed Sunday afternoon that the number of infected with the Covid-19 coronavirus rose to nine, while there are 34 other suspects.
The confirmed ones are the following:
- 49-year-old woman, a U.S. tourist arriving in Costa Rica on March 1 without symptoms until a few days later
- 49-year-old man, the husband of the U.S. tourist, confirmed of having the virus, but still without symptoms
- 54-year-old Costa Rican man who had traveled to Panama, who remains in a delicate condition
- 73-year-old Costa Rican woman, who had contact with the 54-year-old man
- 41-year-old Costa Rican woman, who had contact with the 54-year-old man
- 54-year-old Costa Rican woman, who had contact with the 54-year-old man
- 56-year-old Costa Rican woman, who had contact with the 54-year-old man
- 34-year-old Costa Rican man, who had contact with the 54-year-old man
- 70-year-old U.S. woman, resident in Costa Rica, with a recent travel record to the United States, passing through two airports in that country
The epidemiological detail of the contagion of the five contacts of the 54-year-old man is being investigated by Health authorities.
In addition, a large part of the 34 suspected cases, between nationals and foreigners, are also contacts of the 54-year-old Costa Rican. All are kept isolated in a hotel or at home.
Due to the situation, the Salud y de la Comisión Nacional de Prevención de Riesgos y Atención de Emergencias (CNE) – National Commission for Risk Prevention and Emergency Care – declared a yellow alert by COVID-19.
The activation of the yellow alert allows resources to be mobilized interinstitutionally and activates the Emergency Operations Center (COE).
The Minister of Health, Daniel Salas, the President of the CNE, Alexander Solís and other health officials have been emphatic that, so far, the behavior of the new virus indicates that in more than 80% of cases the infection manifests itself mildly.
Its lethality, registered so far, is 2% (2 dead per 100 infected) and is concentrated in people with prior conditions and risk factors such as diabetic, hypertensive or asthmatic, for example, and in older adults.
On Sunday, the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) – state hospitals and clinics – requested that if you have symptoms of the common flu, do not go to the hospital and avoid infecting those who are hospitalized.
People are sources of contagion, so it is better to stay in their homes and apply hand washing and coughing and sneezing protocols, as well as staying a meter and a half away from other people, to avoid direct contact.
“Since January we have been working hand in hand with the Ministry of Health for the inter-institutional coordination of actions for emergency care; in that line, today we made the decision to establish the yellow alert, which empowers other coordination mechanisms between institutions, vital for addressing the virus,” said the CNE president.
Health Minister Salas was emphatic in his recommendation to the population to postpone travel as much as possible, given that they are likely to have setbacks in flights and airports due to the situation experienced at the international level.
“Our health system is highly sensitive; therefore, it has efficiently detected suspicious and confirmed cases, as well as the appropriate response to these.
“However, it is vital the individual responsibility to protect our most vulnerable population such as the diabetics, those with heart disease, the hypertensive, elderly people or those with lung diseases, as well as those patients with cancer or diseases that compromise their immune system, who face more severely this virus,” said Salas.
