And on the second day there are two more confirmed cases of covid-19 in Portugal. A 60-year-old man, admitted to the São João Hospital, in Porto, and another 37, undergoing treatment at the Curry Cabral, in Lisbon.
According to what the DN found, these two cases are linked to the first two diagnosed – a 60-year-old doctor, who was on vacation in Italy, and is hospitalized at the Santo António Hospital, in Porto, and a 33-year-old commercial. years of business trip to Valencia, Spain.
The same source told the DN that the patients are stable and that these are cases of mild illness. However, the Directorate-General for Health (DGS), despite mentioning that both cases are linked to a positive case with covid-19, does not clarify which which, if the doctor who passed through Italy, if the commercial that was in Valence. DGS also does not clarify whether these are cases that were traveling with these first diagnosed patients or if they have already been contaminated in Portugal.
Data that DGS told DN cannot provide because it is information that is under data protection. Although such information is provided by all countries to the World Health Organization (WHO), which has released it in its site official. In fact, although the WHO data always reports to the previous day, it includes the designation of how many cases are imported and how many are of internal contamination.
If the rules are followed it will be possible to prevent the spread of the disease.
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Experts in the area of pulmonology explained to the DN that the fact of knowing if they are cases of local contamination – that is, that they have already contracted the disease in the country – or if they are imported cases – contaminated abroad – is important, as it allows better monitoring of disease. “After these diagnosed situations, other people who have been in contact with these patients can be screened and thus try to stop the spread of the disease”, they explained.
The same experts safeguard, however, that the evolution from two to four cases “can be considered to be absolutely normal” and that Portugal is following the path of other European countries.
For example, Spain came this Tuesday to assume the first death by covid-19, a death that occurred on February 13, but started by registering only one case on February 24, in Tenerife, an Italian from the Lombardy region, at the second day there were no cases, the third had one more and the fourth went to 12 cases.
France also had an identical evolution, although with more cases of infection, 204, and more deaths, four so far, than Spain.
Only Italy remains the exception in Europe and in the world as well. It started with four cases on February 20, going to 21 the next day and on the third day to 79 cases, and some soon to be in serious condition. On the fourth day it went to 167 cases and on the fifth to 229. At the moment, it is the third country with the highest number of infected (2502) and already 79 deaths, after China, with 80 152 infected and almost three thousand dead since the end of December 2019, and South Korea, with 5186 infected and 34 deaths. The fourth is Iran with 2336 infected and 77 deaths. It should be noted that in China the number of infected cases and deaths starts to decrease daily. According to the WHO, on March 2, China registered 196 cases of infection and 40 deaths. A number far from the first weeks of the disease.
Egas Moniz and Garcia de Orta in the covid-19 support plan
At the moment, there are three hospital centers operated to receive patients with covid-19. They are the Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Lisboa Central (CHULC), which includes the hospitals of São José, Curry Cabral, Capuchos and the pediatric Dona Estefânia, and the Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte, with the hospitals of Santa Maria and Pulido Valente. In Porto, the Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, which integrates the São João and Santo António hospitals, is the reference unit.
But there are already more units defined in case you move on to a second and third stage of the disease. In such a situation, the Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Ocidental will be activated, with the hospitals Egas Moniz, São Francisco Xavier and Santa Cruz and the Hospital Garcia de Orta. In the north, all hospitals will be activated to support São João and Santo António.
The president of the Confederation of Parents’ Associations also mentioned that there is no cause for concern in schools, as the rules defined by DGS are being complied with. Jorge Ascenção was concerned with one issue: that of the finalist trips already paid for by the students and without guarantee that they will be reimbursed in the event of being canceled, since a public health situation is at stake.
Faculty of Medical Sciences tracked Erasmus and Portuguese students who traveled to affected areas. No case was positive.
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Portuguese colleges have also reported that they have contingency plans that will be reviewed as the disease progresses, namely the Nova de Lisboa and Classica universities. As for Universidade Nova de Lisboa, DN knows that the Faculty of Medical Sciences has tracked all Erasmus students it hosts at its institution and other Portuguese students who have been traveling to affected areas. In all, 30 students were screened. “None showed signs of the disease. Some were advised to stay at home for a few days to see if they showed signs, but this did not happen,” they told DN ..
In recent days, calls for the rules set by the DGS to be followed as basic hygiene measures – constant hand washing, not sneezing into hands, social detachment – and in case of symptoms such as fever, cough, fatigue and breathing difficulties, contact the Health Line 24 808 24 24 24 and do not go to an emergency service, have not stopped.
From the prime minister to the President of the Republic, many have warned that finalists’ trips are not advisable. But other entities, in the area of health, entertainment, sports and business, have also requested that the mass events scheduled for the near future be postponed.
However, DGS continues to reaffirm that one should not enter a wave of alarmism. What is certain is that protective material, such as masks and disinfectant liquid, has already run out in Portuguese pharmacies. The WHO also expressed concern on Tuesday about the rapid depletion of reserves of protective equipment. The WHO estimates that more than 89 million surgical masks, 76 million gloves and 1.6 million protective goggles are needed worldwide each month. Failure to do so could put health professionals, doctors and nurses who care for patients infected with the new coronavirus at risk.
After two months, covid-19 has infected more than 92,000 people in 61 countries and caused more than 3,000 deaths, but it also accounts for almost 48,500 infected people who have recovered. WHO continues to consider that there is no reason to declare a pandemic situation.
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