The Health Department he reiterated this Wednesday that he is ready to attend, if necessary, a case of coronavirus In Puerto Rico.
Despite this, the agency stressed that the chances of this virus entering the island “are low.”
According to the Secretary of Health, Rafael Rodríguez Mercado, all hospitals already have a copy of the protocol guidelines for surveillance and reporting of coronavirus cases.
Salud pointed out that, for example, that any hospital that identifies a case of coronavirus has to immediately notify the regional epidemiologist of the agency.
“If a sample is required, it must be coordinated with the staff of the public health laboratory of the Department of Health, for handling and sending the sample to the Atlanta laboratory of the Centers for Health Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ”the agency established.
He added that these samples will be in charge of personnel of the department’s public health laboratory.
Do youQuand will be doneto with the infected patient?
If a person infected with the coronavirus is reported, the patient will be transferred to a hospital that the agency did not specify. The secretary explained that this institution has rooms prepared to handle these types of cases in isolation.
Subsequently, the patient would be treated according to the symptoms presented.
“We continue to work in coordination with the CDC in active surveillance, in the dissemination of prevention messages and we have updated our protocols to the possible scenario of a first case,” reiterated the head of Health, “said Rodriguez Merado.
The protocol with travelers
The official said that although the coronavirus in the United States is “under control”, the CDC asks US citizens to avoid any trip to China, where the epicenter of contagion of this virus is located in the city of Wuhan.
“The CDC and the US Customs and Border Protection are implementing improved health tests to detect travelers with fever, cough or shortness of breath when they enter the United States”, explained the secretary.
He said screening procedures require travelers to complete a questionnaire about their trip to place any symptoms and contact information.
Similarly, CDC personnel take each traveler’s temperature with a portable contactless thermometer (thermometers that do not touch the skin) and observe the traveler for cough or shortness of breath.
“If sick travelers are identified, the CDC evaluates them further to determine if they should be taken to a hospital for a medical evaluation and to receive care as needed.”, Held.
In the event that the traveler does not show symptoms related to this virus, the CDC staff will give you a card with health information about the points they should take into account to prevent contagion.
China increased last night to 132 deaths from the coronavirus, while 6,000 people have been infected throughout the world.
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