Nine of the 18 people hospitalized by COVID-19 are smokers, according to a report by the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS).
Román Macaya, executive president, indicated that 5 of the interned are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and 13 in wards of state medical centers.
The main risk factor for hospitalization when having a coronavirus is hypertension (the most frequent) followed by smoking, explained Dr. Macaya.
According to the doctor, five of the hospitalized for covid-19 are obese, 4 are diabetic, and 2 have dyslipidemia (cholesterol). At the moment, none of the hospitalized are asthmatic.
The CCSS data reveals that 10.5 days is the average hospitalization, while for patients in ICUs it is 23 days.
“People who enter the hospital have a 20% chance of ending up in an ICU,” added Macaya.
According to data revealed this Friday by the Ministry of Health, as of May 15, 843 positive cases are registered (13 more than on Thursday), with 8 deceased (two more deaths occurred in the day, for a total of 10) and 542 people recovered.
A 3-month-old infant became the youngest Costa Rican to have the coronavirus.
