:format(png):focal(4101x756:4111x746)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gfrmedia/4SYUHPMLC5FYXEO5BHRDN3GOAA.jpg)
Puerto Rico woke up this Sunday with 13 new deaths due COVID-19 bringing the total death toll to 1,445 since the beginning of the pandemic, while 736 new confirmed positive cases were reported, Department of Health.
According to the agency, nine of the deaths that occurred between December 11 and 23 were described as confirmed, while four are likely.
New confirmed deaths:
- 52-year-old man from Arecibo region
- 69-year-old man from the Caguas region
- 86-year-old man from the Bayamón region
- 69-year-old woman from the Caguas region
- 42-year-old man from the Metro region
- 85-year-old man from the Metro region
- 52-year-old woman from the Metro region
- 56-year-old man from the Fajardo region
- 59-year-old man from the Metro region
Probably new deaths:
- 51-year-old man from the Fajardo region
- 60-year-old woman from the Bayamón region
- 82-year-old man from the Fajardo region
- 77-year-old woman from Arecibo region
“The change in the number of deaths should not be interpreted as taking place in the last 24 hours. In the same way, it is important to emphasize that the death report may vary, as the processes of registration and codification of the causes of death take place, which could take several days “, the agency quotes in a press release.
In addition to the 736 new cases confirmed, Salud registered another 75 probable cases and 840 suspicious cases. Given this, the total number of confirmed cases amounts to 69,265, while the number probably reaches 3,962. The universe of suspected cases totals 54,571.
In the meantime, the number of patients hospitalized for the virus was placed at 445, of which 88 are confined in an intensive care unit and 85 are connected to an artificial respirator. To date, hospitals in the country have 248 intensive care beds and 838 artificial respirators for adults.
According to the agency, the confirmed positive case term refers to infections whose result was validated by a PCR (molecular) test. The probable case is one whose positive result for the disease was obtained by antigen testing. Meanwhile, the suspected cases, also known as antibody results, are those that have a positive serological test and do not have a positive molecular or antigen test.
In addition, the agency explained that a confirmed death of COVID-19 corresponds to the death of a person with one or more positive molecular tests. Probable death is the death of a patient who was diagnosed with COVID-19 by an antigen test or whose clinical picture meets the criteria to believe that he or she had COVID-19 but never had a molecular or antigen test to detect the virus. . Meanwhile, suspicious death refers to the death of a person in whom a specific antibody is detected in serum, plasma or by a serological test with their blood.