The Ministry of Health of Tucuman confirmed this Thursday third death from bilateral pneumonia of unknown origin in the province, belonging to the six initial infections. Furthermore, they reported that three new cases were addedall belonging to health personnel of the Luz Médica Sanatorium.
The third fatal victim of this disease is a woman. “This is a 70-year-old patient who was hospitalized in a private sanatorium “informed the holder of the portfolio, louis medina ruizat a press conference.
He also indicated that they joined three new infections, all belonging to health personnel. He clarified that these three new cases began with symptoms between August 20 and 23, so he stressed that their infections “belong to the same outbreak”.
The first new case detected belongs to a 40-year-old pharmacy assistant who is hospitalized, the second to a 44-year-old nurse who remains at home and whose evolution is being monitored, and a 30-year-old nurse with comorbidities who was hospitalized this Thursday morning.
“We are studying the origin of the outbreak and the epidemiological link, we are still in the process of investigation”added the provincial health minister.
How many cases are there so far?
Of the six people affected initially, this Thursday the third death was confirmed. Now, three more infections have been added. The first deceased took place on Monday with the death of a doctor from the private sanatorium. The second, a 45-year-old man who was a nurse at the same place, died on Wednesday. According to official information, he had comorbidities and had been hospitalized at the Eva Perón hospital since August 21.
Bilateral pneumonia: what are its symptoms, how to detect it and the recommendations of specialists
Bilateral pneumonia is an acute infection of the lung parenchyma that can be detected by CT or chest X-ray. It develops when pathogens (whether viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms) cause inflammation and infection in the lungs. In turn, this presence of pus and fluid in the alveoli produces severe respiratory failure. Its most common symptoms are:
- High fever
- Difficulty breathing
- cough with phlegm
- Shaking chills
- Chest pain
- Back pain
- nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
Bilateral pneumonia can generate a range of respiratory complications, it can even affect blood pressure or generate an abscess, or any other lung injury. Generally, it is treated with antibiotics in cases of bacterial pneumonia, or with treatments that directly attack the symptoms, cough syrups, fever reducers, analgesics, etc. In more severe cases, hospitalization is required to induce the patient to respiratory assistance.
The alert is aggravated in cases of patients with previous respiratory pathologies such as severe asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It can also manifest itself more frequently and with a higher risk in smokers, diabetic patients and people with obesity.
In the face of the outbreak in Tucumán, the officials recalled a series of care and recommendations: “hand washing, vaccination in all age groups and their appropriate schemes, use of the chinstrap, social distancing, avoiding crowds, protection and isolation that we do in case of the sick.