At the Pablo Arturo Suárez hospital, the opening of more hospital beds continues. Pediatric patient care has also been enabled.
Two factors would have determined that the past Monday, January 10, a peak of 4,253 cases was registered, which is one of the highest since the coronavirus pandemic began in 2020.
For Francisco Pérez, Undersecretary of Health Surveillance of the Ministry of Public Health (MSP), the figure reflects the contagion speed which has the omicron variant and also the test availability for COVID-19 detection.
The first case of that variant was registered in Ecuador on December 14 in Quito. Three days later a second case was identified in Guayaquil.
However, a high number of infections would occur during this and next week.
In the first week of January 2022, COVID-19 cases would have exceeded 14,360. “This is the most important wave in the number of cases,” he indicated.
Pérez added that omicron cases they are not serious or are less lethal, than what happened a year ago, for example, when the alpha variant was probably in Ecuador, in February.
“Thanks to vaccination this is not being seen in hospitals, obviously there is occupation of beds, Bed occupancy has increased, but not in a proportionality equal to the number of cases (…), nor has mortality, ”he said.
The daily positivity of COVID-19 cases rises to 54.32% in Ecuador, one of the highest registered in the pandemic so far
This hospital demand is reflected in the health houses. In Quito, there are two reference hospitals to treat COVID-19: IESS Quito Sur and Pablo Arturo Suárez of the MSP.
In that last nursing home, the increase in beds for hospitalization COVID. In the last hours 8 additional beds were opened. Until last Tuesday there were 50 beds. Jorge Peñaherrera, manager, stated that there is 45 patients, with an occupation of 77% and in the intensive care unit (ICU), 30 patients with 32 beds available (90 %).
He added that once they reach 90%, beds are opened in the Enrique Garcés hospitals, which is located in the south, and the teacher from Calderón, in the north.
“We have 90% ICU, so the other hospitals are already beginning to open their ICU beds and when we reach 90% hospitalization we can continue to expand (…) to 70 beds, we reach 90% and there, yes, the other hospitals should open for COVID hospitalization “, he mentioned.
In that health home, since last Friday, it was opened pediatric hospitalization with thirteen beds and there are six patients. This until the Baca Ortiz hospital receives them.
For Peñaherrera, the COVID that appears now it causes more moderate than severe symptoms in patients.
Various controls are applied to verify documentation of anti-COVID-19 inoculation in land terminals
At the discretion of Fernando Espinoza placeholder image, director of the research center of the Holy Spirit University (UEES), It is not that the omicron variant is less aggressive than the delta or gamma, but that the full-dose vaccines and with the reinforcement they protect human beings from having a serious illness.
About positivity index, Pérez pointed out that it is from about 30% both PCR and antigen tests, similar to the onset of the pandemic.
The official did not rule out the appearance of a new variant and in view of this that there is a need for another immunization or that they are needed boosters of annual immunizations. (I)
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