A 34-year-old female among the 18 recent fatalities from COVID-19 in Puerto Rico

The health department reported 18 new deaths from COVID-19 on Thursday, including a 34-year-old woman from the Caguas region.

The reported deaths were recorded in the period from October 26, 2020 to January 5, 2021. Following this report, the total number of deaths on the island has risen to 1,588, split into 1,319 confirmed and 269 probable deaths.

New deaths reported:

– 50-year-old male from the Metro region

– 63-year-old male from the Metro region

– 71-year-old man from the Metro region

– 78-year-old man from the Metro region

– 85-year-old male from the Metro region

– 88-year-old woman from the Metro region

– 74-year-old man from the Aguadilla region

– 74-year-old man from the Arecibo region

– 34-year-old woman from the Caguas region

– 70-year-old male from the Caguas region

– 71-year-old male from the Caguas region

– 76-year-old male from the Caguas region

– 82-year-old male from the Caguas region

– 80-year-old male from the Fajardo region

– 80-year-old woman from the Ponce region

– 89-year-old man from the Bayamón region

According to Health, the total number of confirmed cases is 74,967, while the probable cases are 4,931. The number of suspected cases is 57,481. All new results are based on samples taken between December 22, 2020 and January 5, 2021.

The agency reported that the total number of confirmed cases was adjusted to add 19 cases before the December 22, 2020 date. In addition, 13 duplicate cases were deducted.

On the other hand, the total of probable cases was adjusted by subtracting 25 that were positive in a molecular test.

Similarly, the suspected case row was modified to subtract 17 cases that had a positive molecular test and three (3) that had a positive antigen test. Likewise, a case from December 16, 2020 was added, two duplicates were subtracted and one case with an incorrect date.

Meanwhile, the number of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 fell to 411, of which 69 in an intensive care unit and 73 connected to a ventilator.

Today there are three pediatric patients who are intensive. One of them is connected to a ventilator.

To date, the country’s hospitals have 231 intensive care beds and 826 adult ventilation equipment available.

According to the agency, the term confirmed positive case refers to infections whose result has been validated by a PCR (molecular) test. The likely case is one whose disease positive result was obtained by antigen testing. Meanwhile, suspected cases, also known as antibody results, are those that have a positive serological test and no positive molecular or antigen test.

In addition, the agency stated that a death confirmed by 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 through an antigen test or whose clinical picture meets the criteria to believe he had COVID-19 but never had a molecular or antigen test to detect it virus. Suspicious death, meanwhile, refers to the death of a person in which a specific antibody is detected in serum, plasma, or through a serological test using their blood.