Guayaquil and other cities register an increase in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks.
Given the sustained increase in COVID-19 infections and the assistance of dozens of people with symptoms related to the virus in health centers and public and private laboratories in Guayaquil, specialists suggest several recommendations to partially stop the chain of transmission of the virus in the next two weeks.
With the massive mobilizations and scenarios of citizen indiscipline registered in the two previous holidays in various cities of the country, authorities and health specialists consider an inevitable increase in cases that will be reported in the following days in Guayaquil and other cities.
After family or work meetings, as well as massive concentrations of people who registered in the past days for Christmas and New Year’s festivities, there is an increase in attention by users with symptoms related to the virus.
These days, dozens of citizens have already presented discomforts similar to those caused by the virus. This is also evident in the long lines observed at test taking points. There, some also reveal that they go to obtain medical certificates in order to resume face-to-face work activities or travel abroad.
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According to reports from the Risk Management Service, Guayaquil went from 52,060 to 55,737 from December 21, 2021 to January 2, 2022, that is, there were 3677 new infected people verified by PCR test. At the national level, in the same period, the number of cases rose from 538,218 to 553,201, with an increase of 14,983 new infections.
With the end of the New Year holiday, the epidemiologist Washington Alemán, who heads the Infectious Diseases Prevention Unit of the municipal Health Directorate, suggested to the public that in case of presenting symptoms related to the virus, try to isolate themselves, and avoid the contact with other people for at least five to seven days or wear a suitable mask to cut the chain of transmission.
In case of presenting ailments, such as fever and sore throat, he stated that isolation should be kept and consult with your doctor for proper treatment. “It is not urgent to get tested for COVID, remember that a negative test does not rule out COVID …”, he said on social networks.
In case of symptoms related to the virus after trips or end-of-year meetings, the intensive care physician Alberto Campodónico, in charge of intensive care at the Kennedy Alborada clinic, recommended attending a test collection point for the respective antigen swab test or PCR (polymerase chain reaction) from the third or fourth day after the presentation of discomfort or contact with a proven case.
In case of not presenting symptomatology and had contact with someone infected, recommended a swab test on the fifth day to rule out or check the presence of coronavirus or even influenza, which usually occurs in this winter stage.
“It is quite likely that in these next fifteen days there will be many infections (of COVID-19) in the city and throughout the country in a sustained way. On the other hand, by having less incubation time, for example, this week you will see many new cases, most of them from outpatient consultation, outpatient management, and fewer cases for hospitalization and ICU (intensive care units) “, he quoted and indicated that the peak of infected will probably arrive between 15 and 30 of this month.
The intensivist asked for extreme health care such as hand washing, use of the N-95 or three-layer surgical mask and the respective physical distancing, due to the high level of transmissibility of the virus and especially of variants such as omicron.
In addition, he suggested to the authorities that biosafety guidelines be maintained in public spaces, such as beaches, and that gauges be regulated in closed establishments (shopping centers, restaurants and others) and public transport buses to counteract the spread of infections.
Also in the next fourteen or fifteen days he makes other recommendations for citizens. Among those, he suggested avoiding going to closed places, such as cinemas and restaurants, prioritizing teleworking in companies and virtual education in academic institutes, and also going out to fulfill strictly necessary procedures.
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In the same way, he recommended to those who attend to take tests or apply COVID-19 vaccines to take due physical distancing in waiting lines, since crowds continue to be a risk of contagion.
Wilson Tenorio, coordinator of the Committee of Experts of the Ecuadorian Medical Federation, regretted that there are citizen sectors that still have a low perception of the danger of the increase in infections and the circulation of variants such as delta and omicron, in the city.
“At any moment this can get out of hand if we do not observe how it has to be, social discipline is important. These first 14-15 days are crucial (due to the average time of the disease) to see if this casuistry rises, we hope not ”, he commented.
Faced with the health situation, the union representative also considered more extreme measures, including a curfew for the next fifteen days from 10:00 p.m. to the morning of the next day, and a peak and license plate in vehicular traffic.
To monitor the incidence of the virus, like Tenorio, Campodónico recommended taking massive tests on a daily basis to establish a real level of contagion at the population level both in people with discomfort, as well as asymptomatic, and the placement of mobile brigades of triage for evaluation of respiratory symptoms.
Likewise, Tenorio asked that the booster vaccination be extended to more age groups. From this Monday 3, people of 50 and 59 years already have access to that additional dose in the country.
Currently, the local Emergency Operations Committee (EOC) maintains epidemiological surveillance regarding the spread of the virus in the city. The city registers an accelerated increase in infections, incidence of mortality in 5 per day on average and hospitalization with stability.
In the Main Port, those infected from December 27 to 31 had more than 1,700 cases confirmed by PCR test, according to records of the Risk Management Service reports.
Currently, the profile of severe conditions is usually evidenced in people without any or only one dose of the anti-COVID-19 vaccine and over 65 years of age fully immunized, but with comorbidities, indicated Campodónico.
Faced with the next scenario of the carnival holiday, next February, the specialist urged that the authorities agree on the establishment of a lower range of access hours and capacity on beaches, with fixed entries and exits, with fences, as stated makes it a musical show, which totally prohibits the operation of discos and bars nationwide, and if possible implement the taking of antigen tests or request for a vaccination certificate in interprovincial and intercantonal transportation. (I)
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