COVID-19 in Puerto Rico: five new deaths and 534 confirmed cases

Puerto Rico woke up on Monday, with five new deaths due COVID-19 which raised the total number of deaths caused by the virus to 1,778, it reported Department of Health.

The agency said the deaths took place between January 19 and 24. Confirmed deaths total 1,494 confirmed deaths and 284 probable deaths.

New reported deaths:

-A 73-year-old man from the Arecibo region

-A 82-year-old man from the Arecibo region

-88-year-old man from the Metro region

-59 year old woman from Caguas region

-A 71-year-old woman from the Caguas region

“The number of additional deaths should not be interpreted as occurring in the last 24 hours. Similarly, it is important to point out that the total number of deaths may vary as the processes of recording and coding the causes of death take place, which may take several days. “Health pointed out in its report.

Also the agency reported 534 new confirmed positive cases, 92 probable positive cases and 531 suspected positive cases. Given that, the total number of confirmed cases amounted to 85,114, while the probable cases are 6,482. The suspected cases total 66,352.

However, health adjusted the total number of confirmed cases after the addition of three infections before 9 January 2021 and the decrease of one duplicate case. It also adjusted for all probable cases by subtracting 66 cases that had a positive molecular test and adding seven cases before 9 January. They also dropped a duplicate case in this category.

Also, the total number of suspected cases was adjusted after there were 56 cases that had a positive molecular test and four cases that had a positive antigen test. They also added 76 suspicious cases before January 9 and left two duplicate cases.

In the meantime, the number of patients hospitalized for the virus was set at 312, of whom 56 are confined in an intensive care unit (ICU) and 41 are connected to an artificial respirator.

To date, hospitals in the country have 206 intensive care beds and 864 artificial respirators available 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.