The number of cases of covid-19 in Costa Rica reached 815 this Wednesday when 11 new infections were registered in the last 24 hours. On Tuesday, there were 804.
The 11 new infections are associated with at least three conglomerates or clusters, and are the result of contact monitoring and the reason why the number of cases detected in the immigration detention center for migrants, located in Los Lagos de Heredia, rose to 18, that started with two patients initially. Due to that, the facilities were isolated, but then 12 more cases were added and, recently, another four.
The number of recovered from the covid-19 is now 527 or 64% of cases.
Of the 288 people currently with the disease, 20 are hospitalized and of these, six are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Wednesday afternoon the 8th death due to covid-19 was reported, a 75-yeard-old man, a resident of Alajuela. He died at the San Juan de Dios hospital, in San Jose. More info here.
Truckers at the northern border
Health Minister Dr. Daniel Salas reported that the operations at the northern border with Nicaragua continue with testing of truckers looking to enter Costa Rica.
In the last 24 hours, five new cases of truckers was reported, bringing the week’s total to 17.
Dr. Salas said they were all turned back, that is not allowed entry, and are not included in the infected cases in Costa Rica.
The number also confirms the lies of the Nicaraguan government who reports officially only 25 cases of the new coronavirus, a number that updated on Monday from the 16 reported unchanged for almost a week.
Virus particles in wastewater
Minister Salas announced that the National Water Laboratory of the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewerage (AyA) is working to identify the footprint of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in wastewater, that is, feces and urine.
Of course, the minister clarified that this does not mean that the covid-19 disease can be transmitted through wastewater.
Yamileth Astorga, executive president of AyA, explained the findings:
“We have developed this technique in several sewage intakes, Los Tajos, Pérez Zeledón, Puntarenas treatment plants and we have also managed to get closer to those places where we have the most presence.
“This allowed us to identify the presence of virus particles, which is not active, and what we extract is the SARS-CoV-2 DNA. It is an early warning that allows us to know if there is a presence in that locality, because we have asymptomatic and symptomatic cases.
“In those where we believe that there is no presence (of the virus) and it appears in the sample, it will allow the Ministry of Health to pay more attention,” the official explained.
