According to the Ministry of Health, as of January 4 there are 188,833 confirmed cases in the capital. The Municipality deploys fixed and mobile health brigades.
Positive cases of COVID-19 in Quito continue to increase. The latest epidemiological report from the Ministry of Public Health (MSP), released on January 4, 2022, reveals that in the capital there are 188,833 confirmed cases, when on December 21, 2021, 184,664 were registered. In other words, 4,169 new infections were reported in a period of two weeks.
An evidence of this situation is in the increase in care at the General Hospital of the IESS Quito Sur.
According to the health center, in November of last year an average of 65 patients were treated per day. Since December 26, the average has risen to 250. And in the first days of 2022 the figure grew to 500 daily; of this amount, the 50% of cases have been positive with coronavirus.
This Tuesday dozens of people attended the multidisciplinary tent that the hospital installed in the parking lot and that has twelve points for triage and tests.
The entity clarifies that not all citizens arrive with respiratory symptomsThey also do not have positive relatives or close people nor have they been in risk situations, but they attend with the desire to clear up doubts, since they know that infections have increased in the country and they prefer to know what their current condition is.
On the other hand, the occupancy level in hospitalization areas and in ICU reaches 90%.
Epidemiologist Daniel Simancas warns that in the next two weeks there will be a significant spike in infections in the capital and in the rest of the country, due to the December festivities and the advance of the omicron variant.
Simancas, who is director of research at the UTE University, considers the decision of the National Emergency Operations Committee (COE) of resume teleworking in 50% of employees of the public sector, although he believes that it could be suggested that it be 100%, without this implying a declaration of confinement.
The expert questions that the COE has not proceeded in the same way with the education sector. At your discretion, the return to face-to-face classes, with 100% capacity, constitutes “a danger” under the current circumstances.
“Many children can be sick, they can be infected by the holidays and the rebound in cases that we are having. This is not the epidemiological time to take children to schools. You must wait and give time for the infections to begin to decline. It is essential to return to face-to-face, due to an issue of mental health and violence, but the conditions are not the most appropriate at this time, ”said Simancas.
How to act when there are suspicions of contagion?
The research director of the UTE University advises do preventive isolation of at least ten days.
People who show symptoms should not go to work and have to wear a mask indoors. This applies not only to the coronavirus, but to any disease, emphasizes Simancas.
If preventive isolation cannot be done, it is recommended get an antigen test. If you do not have symptoms, it is preferable to have an RT-PCR.
“If you have symptoms and the antigen test is negative, it cannot be ruled out that it is COVID-19, (in this case) a PCR test should be done. The two tests are useful, they help the diagnosis, but they are not 100% reliable, what rules is the medical and epidemiological criteria. If you have been in contact with a positive person, you have to isolate yourself, regardless of whether the test comes out positive or negative. This is for a social and citizen responsibility issue ”, says the specialist.
Attention in health brigades of the Municipality
Like every week, since June 2020, the Quito’s Health Secretariat established new points of care for the health brigades, fixed and mobile, which will be located in different sectors to detect cases of COVID-19, free of charge.
According to planning, until January 7 will be attended at the schedule 08:00 to 16:00 on the following sites:
Wednesday, January 5
On: Calle La J (Solanda)
Center: Tumbaco Parish (Health Center)
North: El Labrador Trolleybus Station
Thursday, January 6
On: Calle La J (Solanda)
Center: Independent Workers’ Quarter (Barrial House)
North: Ecovía Rio Coca Station
Friday, January 7
Center: San Isidro de Puengasí neighborhood (Barrial House)
North: El Labrador Trolleybus Station
On: Calle La J (Solanda)
South sector: Park of Diversities, Maldonado and Pujilí avenues; and El Recreo Station
North sector: Coliseo Deportivo de Calderón, María Duchicela street and 9 de Agosto.
In addition to these stations, the Ministry of Health also deploys medical personnel in the neighborhoods Where do hospitalized patients in serious condition come from? There, a door-to-door review is carried out and, if necessary, antigen tests are carried out and vaccines are administered. (I)
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