The Ministry of Public Health of Tucumán reported this Tuesday that it has been detected a bout of bilateral pneumonia in six patients, without having been able to find its origin and etiology. One of them, a health worker, died.
The Minister of Public Health of the province, Dr. Luis Medina-Ruiz, informed in a press conference that although this disease can manifest due to many viruses at this time, such as Covid-19, influenza A or B influenza and even Hanta Virus, this time the etiology has not been found.
“Despite continuing to study not only viruses, but also bacteria, with cultures through a study called FilmArray. We have that technology in Tucumán, which investigates 25 germs, and they also tested negative, ”he added.
So far, as specified in a statement, there is two patients hospitalized in a private sanatorium with mechanical respiratory assistance; two patients admitted to a public hospital with mechanical respiratory assistance and one patient, who is a health worker, in preventive isolation at her home with a non-severe condition.
“It is possibly an infectious etiological agentWe must demonstrate that and find out what it is, if it is a viral infectious germ of not so severe contagion. We are taking all preventive measures since we have gained a lot of experience with influenza and Covid, these are the use of the chinstrap and hand washing, which is what we have been preaching from the beginning,” added Medina Ruiz.
Also, the officials met with a committee of experts to evaluate a decision together. But, they assured that they carried out the adequate isolation. In addition, as indicated, they have not registered new patients since August 22.
For this reason, they sought to bring peace of mind to the population: “We have a close follow-up of the relatives of these patients, of the workers who share the space with them, and it would not be something highly contagious.”
“Whenever a germ of unknown origin or undetected from the beginning appears, we investigate, and when there is a suspicion, we communicate it so that the population knows how to care for and prevent it,” they said.
asked if biosafety measures were lacking, the Minister of Public Health argued: “When there is a lack of biosecurity measures, the contagion is more massive, it is not just six people.”
The director of Epidemiology of the Provincial Health System of the province, Dr. Rogelio Calli, detailed: “Both viruses and bacteria generate the same picture, in this case a flu-like picture with muscle pain, fever, shortness of breath. It is very similar to Covid, hantavirus; It can be virus or bacteria. Treatment is always supportive. For those whose vital signs are working well, helping the body to resolve this situation; In addition, other types of interventions are carried out preventively”.
And he added: “Seasonally, every year we have a peak of diarrhea in summer and in winter we have another peak. They are known as winter diarrhea, it is what we are detecting now. Diarrhea has multiple causes, it can be due to water, hygiene, food that was not stored well, it is not only due to water.
“The recommendations are those that the minister said, general measures: hand washing, vaccination in all age groups and their appropriate schemes, use of the chinstrap, social distancing, avoiding crowds. All these general measures helped us to get through the waves, not only of Covid but also for influenza A, for example. Protection and isolation that we do in case of the sick, ”he concluded.