The Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) of Cuba announced this Wednesday new protocols for coping with COVID-19 After the spread of infections in the country accelerated in recent weeks, especially with the advance of the Omicron variant.
According to the official website of MINSAP, the sequencing studies of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Cuba carried out by the “Pedro Kourí” Institute of Tropical Medicine warn in a preliminary way that Ómicron is the prevalent variant in the country and has displaced others, such as the Delta.
Likewise, they affirm that the prognostic models of the disease show a rapid growth in the number of confirmed cases, with high peaks and a steep decline in mid-March.
They also point out that “the transmissibility of the Omicron variant exceeds Delta, therefore, an increase in cases is expected to continue, which will not be in the same proportion of the report of serious, critical and deceased “.
According to MINSAP, “despite the complex situation, the country has strengths to face the new outbreak of the virus, highlighting the vaccination strategy.”
The note insists that the application of three doses of nationally produced vaccines and the booster dose, in addition to other actions to ensure compliance with hygienic-sanitary measures, “contribute to the control of the spread of the disease” in the country .
Coronavirus cases detected in Cuba so far in January increased by more than a thousand percent more than those diagnosed during all of December, following reporting in the first week of this month a total of 10,934.
Given this epidemiological context, the MINSAP alleged, “it is necessary to update the established protocols and adopt measures that allow a rational use of diagnostic tests, guarantee preventive and therapeutic drugs and redefine criteria for entry into the healthcare network.”
Below we reproduce in full the list of measures adopted by MINSAP:
For COVID-19 surveillance:
– An antigen test (rapid diagnosis) will be available in the emergency services.
– Cases that come to the system for symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 (throat irritation, nasal congestion, dry cough, muscle aches, fever, loss of taste or smell, fatigue) will be tested for antigen (rapid diagnosis). If it is positive, it is considered suspicious and a sample is taken for PCR.
– Those with a compatible clinical picture of the disease and the antigen test is negative will be isolated (according to the established protocol) and following 48 hours, if they continue with a clinical picture without a favorable evolution, a sample is taken for PCR.
– Only a confirmed case of COVID-19 will be considered a person with a positive PCR result.
Contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases:
– Direct or first-order contacts with symptoms will be studied using the antigen test (SUMA), as soon as their contact condition is known. If the result is positive, PCR will be performed, if it is negative, it is discarded. If the PCR is positive, it is considered a confirmed case.
Other indications:
– No studies (Antigen Test and PCR) will be carried out for admission to hospital institutions, nor for the performance of surgical procedures or invasive tests (tomographies, MRIs, endoscopies and others).
– Asymptomatic people will not be studied.
– No studies will be conducted to discharge active patients.
In addition, preventive pharmacological measures will be implemented for the current stage, which determine the process for the use of drugs:
Use of Nasalferon preventive in the following risk groups:
– Pregnant women admitted to the Maternity Home.
– Pregnant contacts of positive cases.
– Elderly inmates in Homes for the Elderly.
– Patients older than 60 years interned in Psychopedagogical Medical Centers.
– People over 50 years of age in Social Protection Centers.
Biomodulin T will be applied to pregnant women in an intervention study format and to older adults in nursing homes and the Transfer Factor to immunocompromised children, according to medical indications.
Patients who meet the following criteria will be admitted to the health care network:
– All children under two years of age.
– Children with incomplete or unvaccinated vaccination schedule, regardless of their age and clinical picture.
– Pediatric patients with risk factors that according to clinical evaluation are income tax.
– All pregnant and postpartum women.
– People not vaccinated (for whatever reason).
– Patients, regardless of age and vaccination status, who due to their clinical symptoms and comorbidities are income tax, following evaluation in the corresponding healthcare unit.
For asymptomatic patients or with mild symptoms and a complete vaccination schedule, the following protocols are referred:
– All suspected (clinical and epidemiology) and confirmed patients who are asymptomatic or present mild symptoms (that do not fall into the aforementioned categories) will be admitted to the home or will be left in home isolation and watched waiting in Primary Health Care.
– This type of patient is subject to general sanitary hygiene measures and expectant and vigilant behavior.
Just a week ago, the Cuban government strengthened international health control measures for travelers that arrive in the country and established other general regulations, given the growing increase in December of positive cases to the coronavirus, following the reopening of national borders a month earlier.
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