CAMAGÜEY - In the province of Camagüey, a series of measures have been adopted to mitigate the epidemiological situation related to COVID-19. Although few, new cases of people confirmed with the disease have emerged and it stands out the active and daily investigation to identify those with respiratory symptoms and their evaluation by the health team, students from the Medical Sciences University Carlos J. Finlay, and members of the mass organizations, with priority in the closed units and vulnerable groups.

In the same way, the attention of the family doctor and nurse in the nursing homes is reinforced, with great care for the fragile residents, due to age and background diseases, who must remain in their homes; and in the same way, the mother-child attention is strengthened.

 Special attention is given to the elderly who live alone, and the entry of people with respiratory symptoms is prohibited in the work and study centers, always with the concept of responsibility of the managers.

Special attention must be dedicated to the health units corresponding to the established hygienic-sanitary norms, which also indicate that the means of protection for their staff must be guaranteed, with the increase of state sanitary inspection actions.

 PCR, which is a real time molecular biology test (Polymerase Chain Reaction) and rapid tests are designed for those who enter by Lower respiratory tract infection (IRA, by its acronym in Spanish), in order to detect the presence of SARS-CoV2. The rapid test detects infections in population groups and then it is mandatory to perform PCR, also in those who have died from this cause and in cases of studies by new outbreak.

It is essential to reduce the level of assistance in health care institutions, so that the capacity of medical equipment and other necessary resources can be released, without forgetting to avoid the influx of public and crowds of people in these centers.

For all the above reasons, optional surgeries are suspended, except for those that respond to diseases that compromise the patient's life, such as cancer cases, organ transplants, just to mention a few.

All possible external medical consultations and complementary examinations will be rescheduled, with the increase of the community projection on diverse specialties.

The medical diets and certificates that expire in all the establishments and pharmacies involved will remain in force for six more months.

 Those admitted in hospital facilities that require assistance are allowed to have their companions, but if any epidemiological situation occurs, their replacement will not be admitted, while visits to these people are suspended, as well as in-patient passes in nursing homes and psycho-pedagogical medical centers.

The suspension of semi-interned patients in nursing homes, grandparents' homes and psycho-pedagogical centers is foreseen.

 It was stipulated that the use of the mask is mandatory for the entire population, and the ability to isolate those who are suspected of having the disease or who are contacts of confirmed cases is guaranteed.

 Translated by Mariam Heredia Acosta (Student)

Reviewed by Linet Acuña Quilez