(CNN Spanish) - Just before Latin America confirmed the first case of coronavirus, registered in Brazil on Wednesday, the authorities of various countries began taking measures to contain and treat the outbreak before the possibility of reaching their territories .
In addition to the patient with coronavirus in Brazil and two new cases confirmed in Mexico on Friday, at least 260 people are being monitored for suspicion of the virus in Chile, the health minister of that country, Jaime Mañalich, reported in an interview on Tuesday With a local radio. Alerts throughout the region are on.
Here we leave you the detailed information for each country:
Brazil | Mexico | Argentina | Bolivia | Chile | Colombia | Costa Rica | Ecuador | El Salvador | Guatemala | Honduras | Nicaragua | Dominican Republic | Panama | Paraguay | Peru | Puerto Rico | Uruguay | Venezuela
COVID-19, as it was called by the World Health Organization (WHO), has already claimed the lives of thousands of people and infected tens of thousands more, while multiple countries struggle to care for those infected and prevent their spread.
A senior WHO official recently warned that "we are in the phase of preparing for a possible pandemic" and a former director of the Centers for Control and Prevention in the United States said that a coronavirus pandemic is inevitable. In the midst of all this, we tell you how some Latin American countries prepare to face the coronavirus that has unleashed an international public health emergency.
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Brazil
This Wednesday, February 26, the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in Brazil, the first in the entire region. The patient is a 61-year-old man, resident in Sao Paulo, who traveled for work between February 9 and 21 to the region of Lombardy, in northern Italy.
At this time, the state and municipal secretariats of Sao Paulo are identifying the people with whom the patient has had contact at his home, the hospital and the plane. However, for now, there is no limitation of movement within the country or to leave it. The Minister of Health, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, ruled out the possibility of limiting the entry of foreigners as a way to stop the spread of the coronavirus, considering that this "has no effectiveness."
First case of coronavirus confirmed in Brazil 6:02Instead, he said, “Brazilians need to increase the number of times they wash their hands and face with soap and water throughout the day. That is an extremely important habit, not only to prevent respiratory problems, but also other diseases. ” He also recalled the importance of avoiding sharing glasses and other utensils that can transmit the virus through saliva.
In addition, the authorities have recommended that people who have symptoms do not travel and those who manifest them after entering the country quickly go to the health system protected by a surgical mask and, preferably, calling an ambulance for transport. No measures are taken to take the temperature or similar at airports, since no symptoms appear during the virus incubation period.
People in the Sao Paulo subway wear protective masks, after the first case of coronavirus in the country was confirmed. (Credit: Victor Moriyama / Getty Images)
Along the same lines, a national contingency plan against the coronavirus has been established. The Ministry of Health has created a mobile application with hygiene and action advice for the population and all who arrive in the country. A rapid test system is also implemented to detect the disease. The national reference laboratory for coronavirus analysis is the Adolfo Lutz Institute and the inauguration of another reference laboratory center in Rio Grande do Sul is planned to meet the needs of the population in the winter.
According to the contingency plan, the containment phase implies that medical care has more surveillance actions, the purchase of supplies and definitions for the emergency and emergency network. It is also considered a "home quarantine for mild cases and home monitoring strategy to avoid unnecessarily occupying beds."
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Mexico
The Undersecretary of Health of Mexico Hugo López-Gatell reported on February 28 that two confirmed cases of coronavirus in Mexico City and Culiacán, Sinaloa.
What works to prevent you from coronavirus? 2:22The Government of Mexico activated a response plan for the coronavirus since January 9, which includes “preventive travel warning, media monitoring and identification of suspicious cases in international passengers from China”. In addition, as of January 16, the Epidemiological Diagnostic and Reference Institute (Indre) established diagnostic protocols, following WHO guidelines.
Additionally, reviews are carried out mainly at airports in the country to which flights arrive directly from China. There is carried out a screening for symptoms to travelers, although it is not being done in a generalized way. And the General Directorate of Epidemiology published from January 9 a preventive travel notice to China, which suggests “avoid non-essential trips, and if travel is necessary, apply specific preventive measures such as: frequent hand washing using water and soap, consume only well cooked food and drink simple drinking or bottled water. ”
Part of the special clothing that doctors in Mexico should use when treating patients with coronavirus. (Credit: JULIO CESAR AGUILAR / AFP via Getty Images)
Precisely, the health authorities have insisted on the importance of hand hygiene, of covering the nose with the internal angle of the arm when sneezing, of not touching the face with dirty hands and of cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and objects of common use . It is also key, experts say, to see a doctor when symptoms of respiratory illnesses occur.
The epidemiological warning issued on January 21 sets out the methods for the timely identification of suspicious cases in Mexico and the relevant prevention measures. Actions to address suspicious cases in Mexico begin with the collection of biological samples for shipment to Indre, as well as their follow-up until the remission of their disease, including their final classification and study of direct contacts.
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Chile
The Minister of Health, Jaime Mañalich, said Tuesday that “we are effectively reaching a level where it is highly probable that in Chile, as in other Latin American countries, we will have cases of coronavirus, COVID-19, in the coming weeks or months. ”
In this regard, he explained that from Friday people entering the country must sign an affidavit informing the countries they have visited during the last 14 days, in addition to the installation of a filter in the sanitary device of airports, as a measure of reinforcement.
"From next Monday, we will install a Triage in the sanitary device of the airport and we will apply an affidavit to travelers arriving in Chile, indicating which countries they have visited in the last 14 days," adds Minister @jmanalich in @biobio pic.twitter.com/yLkCKyWmQA
- Ministry of Health (@ministeriosalud) February 25, 2020
In the air terminals temperature controls are also carried out, in addition to a questionnaire to those people who come from countries with confirmed cases of coronavirus. If symptoms occur, they are referred to a health center.
After the case of coronavirus confirmed in Brazil, from the Ministry of Health they informed CNN that all the measures currently being implemented will be strengthened and others will be added, starting March 2 , including the affidavit and a health control unit at airports, which will consist of a point of care for passengers who may have symptoms, where they will be medically evaluated and, if necessary, laboratory samples will be taken and sent to the Public Health Institute, to detect if they present the virus.
Coronavirus: When is it more contagious? 0:16In addition, Chilean health authorities are concerned that if cases of coronavirus are registered in the country, they coincide with the outbreak of influenza, so that “we could have two respiratory diseases circulating simultaneously,” said Mañalich.
Since the beginning of February, the Government decreed the health alert throughout the country. The provision gives special powers to the health authorities for a rapid provision of resources and the taking of extraordinary measures to face a possible outbreak of coronavirus, such as the hiring of additional personnel in hospitals and the accelerated purchase of supplies.
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Although the authorities did not detail the budget included in this alert, they said that currently all hospital facilities in the country are trained to receive patients affected by the coronavirus.
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Argentina
What is it like to live in quarantine for the coronavirus? 2:15The Ministry of Health of Argentina has provided, as a preventive measure against the coronavirus, a plan that “consists of a stage of preparation and containment (…) with laboratory strengthening for diagnosis, for the early detection of the entire health team , to be able to suspect the case, notify it, isolate it, take care of it, investigate all contacts, ”according to what Carla Vizzotti, an official of the entity, explained to CNN.
Vizzotti added that at the points of entry, both air and sea, it is necessary to “provide information, stimulate self-report, report places where there are cases and explain to people that, if they have symptoms for the next 14 days, they have to consult and refer the antecedent and, of course, if there is any fever, the protocol is detected and applied if it meets the definition of the case, which is to have a fever, respiratory disease and a link with China or a confirmed case. ”
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Before the outbreak of coronavirus that lives in Italy, the Ministry of Health of Argentina took new actions on the direct flights of that country that arrive at the Ezeiza International Airport for the early detection, registration and control of patients with the possibility of presenting a disease acute respiratory To detect travelers with symptoms that may have been in contact with confirmed cases, the authorities ordered that all flights from Italy will be evaluated “in a remote position by health agents of the National Border Health Directorate” within the same aircraft and Passengers must complete an affidavit, which includes the commitment to report symptoms if they occur after entering the country.
This is how people live in Italy amid the fear of coronavirus 0:55In addition, "if there is a passenger that meets the definition of a suspect case, the protocol will be acted in accordance with a protocol already established in a timely manner, which implies isolation of the patient, immediate referral to his / her care based on the recommendations in force".
Colombia “>
Along the same lines, there is a “mass dissemination of information for passengers” about the coronavirus at airports, ports and border crossings to raise awareness about the relevance of preventive measures, the symptoms to which attention should be given and the consultation telephone Staff training has also been established in different work areas that may be related to a possible case.
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Colombia
The president of Colombia, Iván Duque, informed on Wednesday that “all preventive measures” are being taken in the country to face the coronavirus, starting with a campaign that generates awareness about the disease, according to a press release issued by the Presidency. The president insisted that "precautions have been applied at all points of entry" for some time.
These are the symptoms of coronavirus 0:31On February 24 , the Colombian Ministry of Health raised the risk of coronovirus to Colombia to moderate, due to the increase in cases in Italy, in Spain, and “in other European countries with which we have significant migratory flows, which the probability of importing cases to Colombia increases, ”said the Minister of Health in charge, Iván Darío González.
As part of the surveillance and prevention measures, the Immigration filter has been expanded and not only will passengers be asked if they come from China or have been there in the last 14 days, but also if they have visited South Korea, Japan , Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates and Italy. The Ministry also stressed the importance of intensifying prevention messages, especially on hand washing and respiratory hygiene.
How has coronavirus spread throughout the world? 0:29The National Institute of Health was also prepared so that the diagnostic test for coronavirus could be done in the country. Healthcare providers and professionals have also received indications and information on how to treat the virus, according to the minister in charge. Additionally, public and private hospitals and clinics in the main capital cities are preparing all personnel to face any eventuality.
As for the Colombians who were repatriated from Wuhan on February 27, the Ministry ordered that both the group and the crew and health personnel who were on the flight will have a quarantine period of 14 days. "During these days, permanent monitoring of the health of each of them will be maintained, and permanent analyzes to rule out any condition that may be related to COVID-19," the Ministry previously said in a statement.
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Venezuela
4 steps to avoid getting Coronavirus 2:55Venezuela closely observes the progress of the coronavirus, amid the collapse of its economy, which, among other consequences, maintains approximately one third of the population without access to sufficient food, as reported by the UN. The country's crisis has had an impact on the health system with prolonged failures for access to medicines and supplies, as well as a network of public hospitals affected by recurrent suspensions of basic services such as water and electricity.
The World Health Organization warned on February 12 that the virus could be devastating for poor countries or with vulnerable health systems.
Coronavirus mortality rate increases 0:45The government of the questioned President Nicolás Maduro announced, last week, that he intends to implement an "Acute Respiratory Disease Prevention Plan" in reference to the coronavirus, although he has not yet detailed the measures contemplated in said strategy. This Wednesday, after the confirmation of the first case of coronavirus in Brazil, the Minister of Health, Carlos Alvarado, said that the epidemiological surveillance system at airports and ports in the country will be reinforced.
In announcing the prevention plan, on February 19, Alvarado said that “we are linked with all actors in the health sector, including scientific and medical societies with the support of the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization (WHO) ”, according to a note by the Vice Presidency.
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And the first week of February, Alvarado declared on state television that the Government activated "all the recommendations of the World Health Organization." "The national committee for preparing for the possible entry of the coronavirus into Venezuela has already been activated," he said at the time. "The epidemiological surveillance system is reactivated in the Venezuelan care network," he said. The Government has also reported on passenger control at the country's international airports and asked travelers to report the countries they have visited and if they have flu symptoms.
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Ecuador
In Ecuador, the Ministry of Health maintains announcements through official channels about the worldwide situation of the coronavirus and has set up information tables at airports, ports and land borders on the main prevention measures. According to the entity, the country is aligned with protocols and measures recommended by WHO, while it has reinforced epidemiological surveillance at all points of entry into the country.
What are the personal measures against coronavirus? 0:49At the Quito airport, passengers from Asia are subject to special control and must answer the questions on a form to find out their contact details, what was their city of origin and what was the route they took during the trip. A temperature control is also carried out and if the person is elevated, they will be transferred to a hospital, according to the company Quiport to CNN, responsible for the administration of the air terminal. Quiport added that there are 12 direct flights a week from Madrid to Quito and a similar number from Madrid to Guayaquil.
Regarding immigration issues, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not reported variations. The normal entry of tourists is maintained with previous sanitary controls at the points of entry. There are no direct flights to Ecuador from any Asian country. From Europe there are direct flights from France, Spain and Holland.
Coronavirus: How to take care of our emotional stability? 1:34According to the Ministry of Health, Ecuador has 194 epidemiologists and 15 hospitals with isolation rooms. A hospital has also been assigned to deal exclusively with possible cases of coronavirus. According to the Minister of Health, Catalina Andramuño, "it is a hospital that will have all the necessary capacity and medical staff." Additionally, since January 30, 2019, the National Institute of Public Health Research has reagents donated by the Pan American Health Organization to carry out tests to detect possible cases of coronaviruses in the country. Regarding the budget of the Ecuadorian State allocated to face the alert for the coronavirus, Minister Andramuño responded that there are 60 million dollars that have been estimated to be needed.
The Foreign Ministry said it maintains a contact line for communication with Ecuadorian residents in China and with the three students who decided to stay in Wuhan, where the virus originated. The Foreign Ministry also reported that it frequently communicates with the five Ecuadorian students who were transferred from Wuhan to Ukraine to carry out a quarantine. So far, they are "good and safe," according to the authorities.
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Peru
Some passengers wear protective masks at the Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima. (Credit: ERNESTO BENAVIDES / AFP via Getty Images)
In Peru, protocols have been developed that are being applied both at the Jorge Chavez International Airport and in the different ports of the country, according to CNN Manuel Loayza, director of the National Center for Epidemiology, Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health.
Loayza explains that in the event that the crew of an airplane or ship reports on a passenger possibly infected with coronavirus, the International Health team of the Ministry of Health must evacuate not only the person suspected of being infected, but those passengers who have I've been sitting four rows ahead and four rows behind it, when it comes to airplanes. Potential patients, according to established protocols, will be taken to a hospital where they will be isolated and evaluated. The results of the tests to know if a person is infected or not would be available in less than 24 hours. Loayza points out that Peru is currently able to perform up to 5,000 tests to determine whether or not a person is infected with coronavirus.
🔴 The #Minsa has health protocols for response to the potential occurrence of cases of patients with Covid-19 (#Coronavirus) in the national territory. #YourHealth First. pic.twitter.com/qFAZTW7W21
- Ministry of Health (@Minsa_Peru) February 26, 2020
Since January 22, the Ministry of Health reported that it is prepared to diagnose the coronavirus and that the National Institute of Health will make available its most advanced technology, “in order to expand studies that provide knowledge about the genetics of the microorganism” .
In addition, Loayza said that there are currently five hospitals with the capacity to isolate and treat patients in case they test positive for the coronavirus test. These hospitals will be able to attend 200 infected simultaneously. At the beginning of January, the Minister of Health, Elizabeth Hinostroza, informed that training is carried out for health personnel and an information campaign has been arranged for the population in general, especially for people traveling or returning to the country.
What is the coronavirus incubation period? 0:15Paraguay “>
Recently, a ministerial resolution was published that allocates just over one million dollars to this contingency plan implemented by the health authority in Peru along with other entities in that country. Loayza points out that it is being evaluated whether the health sector will be declared in an emergency, so that additional resources are allocated to a possible outbreak of coronavirus in Peru.
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Paraguay
Health authorities in Paraguay have put the country on “maximum alert” after confirmation of the first case of coronavirus in neighboring Brazil.
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The Minister of Health, Julio Mazzoleni, said on February 25 at a press conference, that it is a matter of days, weeks or months for the virus to enter the country, but that its presence is likely to occur, taking into account that already It exists at the regional level.
In the national territory, there is a case under observation of a Paraguayan who was in China, Mazzoleni reported Wednesday. His first analysis was negative, but still isolated as a precaution.
How to take care of the coronavirus? 5:32Regarding the special controls at the airport, Guillermo Sequera, director of Health Surveillance, indicated that Paraguay follows the WHO protocol. According to the official, more stringent measures are being taken than in neighboring countries, since not only people with symptoms are isolated, but all those passengers arriving from China and from countries where there are cases of infection from person to person. Until now, the control system is based on “self-report” since according to airport authorities, internationally, there is still no access to information on passengers and their flights of origin. It is only possible to track up to the last two connections by the current system used worldwide.
On February 24 , health authorities met with the General Directorate of Migration to finish adjusting control procedures to travelers. And it was decided that Paraguayan citizens will also be required to passport when they return to the country. In addition, a migratory interview will be submitted "to all travelers without exception, in order to verify their origin and travel history."
Where did the new coronavirus arise? 0:22For its part, the Central Public Health Laboratory has the necessary human and technical resources to perform the diagnosis of the coronavirus in the country.
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Uruguay
From the guidelines of the WHO, the Ministry of Public Health of Uruguay (MSP) developed a protocol that establishes that people who arrive with symptoms of respiratory diseases should attend a private hospital (if the person involved has such service) or public.
In case of receiving public service, the Uruguayan Government ordered that the Police Hospital be the “reference center” and contain two rooms on the sixth floor, with restricted access, specially equipped to treat the novel disease. There, in addition, a series of preventive measures were arranged so that the working personnel protect themselves from possible contagions: gowns, masks, gloves, hand washing, gel alcohol.
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If the situation worsens, a room (10) of the Intensive Treatment Center was arranged in the same hospital to treat cases of coronavirus, authorities explained.
This protocol requires keeping a record of all the people who enter and leave the areas where any patients with the virus are treated.
However, the MSP clarified that "there is no evidence or recommendation to implement control measures at points of entry, because they do not allow to detect mild cases or those that are still in the incubation period." However, "the usual measures were intensified and a contingency plan was foreseen in the event of suspicious cases," a statement dated Wednesday, February 26, added.
In all cases, notifications of “suspicious cases” must be made within 24 hours of their detection, and reported to the National Epidemiological Surveillance System of the Uruguayan Ministry of Public Health.
The authorities are in "permanent contact with international health agencies and receive information on the evolutionary characteristics of the outbreak and control recommendations," the MSP reported.
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Bolivia
Bolivia has taken several preventive measures against the coronavirus through the Interinstitutional Committee formed by the Chinese Embassy, WHO, PAHO, the Bolivian Society of Infectology, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Migration, among others. These institutions have implemented an intensive plan for dissemination and information to citizens about the scope of the coronavirus, in addition to a control at all land and air borders, where the entry of people who could present a suspected case of the disease is verified .
Airline and passenger workers wear protective masks at the El Alto International Airport in La Paz. (Credit: AIZAR RALDES / AFP via Getty Images)
In the Bolivian airports, epidemiological control protocols, isolation actions and patient care are carried out, testing the logistic and operational conditions, and the health services with the appropriate biosecurity measures.
On February 10, the Minister of Health, Aníbal Cruz, reported that Bolivia already has the reagents to perform laboratory tests of the new coronavirus under international standards. "The reagents for the reference laboratory have already arrived for the tests to be done in Bolivia ... and the great advantage of this is that the results will be almost 24 hours," said the official.
Shaving could reduce the spread of coronavirus 1:26The Interinstitutional Committee has also implemented benchmarks for information on the coronavirus in all departments of the country and has implemented an intensive care center for these cases in the city of El Alto. It has also launched areas of isolation and quarantine in the city of Cochabamba in the presence of cases of coronavirus.
Bolivia coordinates and exchanges information with countries in the region. Now, particularly with Brazil with which it shares a wide border and where the first case of the coronavirus has already been confirmed.
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Panama
In Panama, officials from the Ministry of Health operate in the different ports and points of entry into the country, mainly at the Tocumen International Airport, where there is an International Operations Center. Although this center is permanent, the threat of the new coronavirus redoubled surveillance and trained health professionals on Tuesday.
The protocol is that when passengers arriving from risk areas arrive they are subjected to a rigorous inspection with medical equipment, which includes the taking of temperature, general signs, in addition to a form with general data such as the place of lodging and location. Each of these people are given directions and recommendations.
- READ: Rights of travelers for the coronavirus: cancellations, refunds and other travel advice
At the Tocumen airport, a temporary isolation zone was enabled to locate anyone who has symptoms. In that place, a sample would be taken to be analyzed at the Gorgas Memorial Institute. If it is positive, according to the Ministry of Health, everything is ready to make the transfer from the airport to the San Miguel Arcángel Hospital, in Panama City, a facility planned to handle the alert.
On January 28, the Panamanian Government assigned the initial budget of one million dollars to the Ministry of Health, to cover the expenses incurred by the adoption of sanitary measures against the coronavirus. The Ministry and the Social Security Fund also promote a prevention campaign in various media and social networks.
Coronavirus: Who is most exposed to infection? 1:37Back to top
Guatemala
The president of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei, declared on February 25 the maximum alert to prepare for what he considers the inevitable arrival of the coronavirus in the country.
The president stressed that there is no confirmed case of coronavirus, but considered it important to be prepared. He said that "it is preferable to have the worst scenario to act to be inventing the measures in the course of the disease, so we are better preparing for the coming that seems inevitable."
Thus they shield Guatemala airport against the coronavirus 2:13The maximum alert measure includes locating buildings that serve as isolation centers for patients and their relatives, in case of cases of infection by the coronavirus.
The president added that the National Laboratory of Guatemala is able to carry out tests that allow to rule out or confirm a case of infection by coronavirus and that when a case is confirmed “all activities of agglomerations of people would be prohibited so that there are fewer infections”.
- READ: Giammattei declares maximum alert in Guatemala to prepare for the coronavirus
The president of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei. (Credit: JOHAN ORDONEZ / AFP via Getty Images)
On February 21, the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance of Guatemala explained that it is prepared to diagnose any suspected case of coronavirus and perform laboratory tests. And since the end of January, the country declared the health alert for the virus, which limits entry by air, land or sea "to any foreign person who, in the last 15 days, has visited the People's Republic of China." As for Guatemalans who have been in Chinese territory, they will be allowed to enter the country, but “they must comply with the established health protocol, which includes: interview, clinical evaluation and, if necessary, the transfer to a service of Health".
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Honduras
Faced with the threat of the coronavirus, Honduran authorities began taking sanitary measures at land, air and sea borders to detect the entry of a passenger suspected of having the virus or coming from areas at risk of the disease.
In the case of airports, special rooms have been set up with health personnel who take the temperature from travelers from countries where coronavirus cases have been confirmed.
What soaps and gels help against the coronavirus? 0:33The health authorities ensure that the health policies that are being applied in prevention are those established by the International Health Regulations (RSI) and the World Health Organization (WHO), which includes both physical testing and temperature taking and a form to know the migratory movement of the traveler.
The authorities say they have specific spaces in two hospitals in Tegucigalpa, one in San Pedro Sula and another in La Ceiba to be able to attend and isolate any suspicious patient or with the coronavirus.
- READ: Scientists respond to rumors of the origin of the coronavirus: "Conspiracy theories do nothing but create fear"
On February 19, the Government approved a budget of 110 million lempiras, about $ 4,422, for a possible emergency for the coronavirus although this money will also be used to address dengue cases.
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The Savior
The authorities of El Salvador have installed inspection points at the different border points. At land borders, health authorities take people's temperature and the protocol is activated when someone has a fever above 37.7 degrees. Meanwhile, at the San Óscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport a thermal camera has been installed to measure body temperature.
Do the masks help contain the coronavirus? 1:53On February 26, the presidential commissioner of Operations and Government Cabinet, Carolina Recinos, informed that it has been decided to extend the quarantine period to 30 days for those entering the country from countries where the coronavirus circulates. Precisely, in the case of passengers coming from China or places where the disease has been confirmed, the authorities implement the protocol recommended by the WHO in which person is received by health personnel. If you do not have symptoms, you are transferred by ambulance to an area where you remain under observation for two weeks, time of incubation of the virus.
And on February 25 , President Nayib Bukele ordered the ban on entry of passengers from Italy and South Korea to prevent contagion. In the case of Salvadoran citizens and diplomats from these countries, "they will have to spend a period of 15 days in quarantine," the president said in a press release.
Remote work as an alternative in the middle of quarantines by coronavirus 4:18As of February 24, passengers arriving by air to El Salvador must fill out a form that provides a contact number in the country, the address where they will be staying and the countries they have visited the last fifteen days.
Nicaragua “>
The Government allocated $ 8.6 million to implement measures and declared a national emergency since January 30. In addition, it prepares an area near the international airport to have people under suspicion of being carriers of coronaviruses. According to health authorities, El Salvador has rapid response teams and trained personnel for research, sampling, prevention and control measures.
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Nicaragua
A man wears a protective mask during the celebration of Ash Wednesday in Managua. (Credit: INTI OCON / AFP via Getty Images)
On February 21, the Nicaraguan health authorities declared a preventive health alert and at both the land border posts and the Augusto C. Sandino International Airport, a health team was installed to detect any risk. The Minister of Health informed that they are strengthening health measures and reviewing the protocols for care and diagnostic tests that will be carried out on people entering national territory, coming from any country where cases are reported or presenting symptoms.
For his part, Martha Reyes, director of Health Surveillance, said that the process of training all personnel at points of entry into the country continues, with the aim of complying with preventive measures and carrying out coordinated work with the different institutions for the early detection of coronavirus.
Coronavirus: How close are we to a pandemic? 1:20There are no hospitals specially designated to attend an eventual emergency. National reference hospitals and even the network of health centers have an area of care for febrile patients and another area for people with respiratory problems. The Government has not expressly announced that special funds will be allocated to face a coronavirus emergency. CNN requested information from the Communication and Citizens Council coordinated by Rosario Murillo, but has not yet received a response.
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Costa Rica
The Ministry of Health of Costa Rica activated the protocols before the WHO alert for the coronavirus since mid-January and, according to CNN on February 25 , is preparing to update the measures. The entity, however, clarifies that it does not want to cause alarm and that the actions are preventive since there are no suspicious cases so far.
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He also presented the national guidelines for surveillance of the infection and insists on the constant washing of hands, coughing or sneezing, covering his mouth and nose with tissues or with his forearm and avoiding contact with people who have symptoms of respiratory diseases. In addition, guidelines have been submitted to public and private health centers for the timely identification of suspicious cases and appropriate action.
The Minister of Health, Daniel Salas, said that they work under the scheme of the national risk system, because it has proven to be efficient, for example, with the H1N1 and the SARS-Cov, without the need to close borders.
In a statement dated January 20, Salas said that “the health system in Costa Rica has protocols and procedures that allow facing these epidemiological alerts. In the same way that was processed with the influenza virus AH1N1 and SARS-CoV, what is appropriate is the disclosure of the protocol of action for health care centers, where they are detailed the clinical picture and the report that must be made ”. If a positive case were identified, there would be coordination for isolation and strict monitoring of contacts.
Coronavirus: how to prepare for a possible pandemic? 9:41Similarly, according to the Ministry, international airports have specific guidelines and contingency plans. Guides were also established for work centers, tourist centers and educational centers, as well as guidelines for mass concentration events. In addition, the Minister of Health, in conjunction with the National Emergency Commission, coordinated the activation of the Emergency Operations Center (COE).
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Dominican Republic
The Minister of Health of the Dominican Republic, Rafael Sánchez Cárdenas, reported that the country has five thermal sensors to detect the coronavirus in suspicious travelers. According to the official, the five sensors measure the temperature and are located at different points of departure and entry of the country, including the airports of Punta Cana, Santiago and Las Américas in the capital, Santo Domingo.
Monitoring at airports and border points also provides for the investigation of the origin of travelers, including information about their stay in the last 30 days, according to the authorities.
Coronavirus Cruise: The Infernal Nightmare Day by Day 2:37In addition, the Dominican Republic has at least five isolation units with a capacity for about 42 beds for suspected coronavirus patients in different parts of the national territory, according to health authorities. As part of the preventive measures that the country implements, a special ambulance is included for the transfer of such patients, which is available in the tourist area of Punta Cana, the Ministry of Public Health reported.
The director of Risk Management and Disaster Assistance, José Luis Cruz, said that the reactive capacity to respond efficiently to any suspicious case that enters or is detected in the country has been strengthened, especially at the level of prehospital transport, laboratory, identification of cases and clinical care ”.
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Faced with the threat to the country, a health protocol was also established to enter an isolation unit for patients who have suspected symptoms of the coronavirus, have a travel history or have had contact with patients from China or other places with confirmed cases.
People who have no symptoms may receive surveillance or observation at home by health personnel. The country also activated an epidemiological surveillance protocol in all ports and airports of the country including border crossings.
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Puerto Rico
Four world powers deal with the coronavirus 1:04The Puerto Rico Department of Health said it has redoubled efforts to address a possible case of coronavirus on the island, creating what is called a task force in which local and federal agencies have consolidated a common front to delineate the guidelines to follow and develop a coordinated response to the event that a case arises on the island.
This team has the task of defining action plans in each of the corresponding areas of the agencies involved. This is to prevent the spread of the disease and that a greater number of people are exposed to infection, if there is a scenario of transmission from person to person on the island.
The coronavirus turns pleasure trip into a nightmare 2:52The Puerto Rico Department of Health has 356 isolation rooms located in the Río Piedras Medical Center and other hospitals around the island. Recently, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States activated a coronavirus quarantine station at the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Puerto Rico, in case a passenger with the disease is detected. Similarly, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company maintains direct communication with the cruise companies that arrive at the respective docks.
The authorities have also urged the population to get vaccinated against influenza and take daily preventive measures to help stop the spread of germs.
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With information from María Camila Rincón, Juliana González, Elvin Sandoval, Merlin Delcid, Mario Medrano, Fidel Gutiérrez, Djenane Villanueva, Elizabeth González, Fernando Ramos, Osmary Hernández, Ana María Cañizares, Jimena De La Quintana, Marcos Moreno, Gloria Carrasco, Sanie López Garelli, Cristopher Ulloa, Darío Klein, Jessica Hasbun and Rafy Rivera.