Taking into account the behavior of the Covid-19 pandemic, and as part of the actions carried out to face the epidemic, this Saturday the Temporary Working Group approved an update of the protocol for the diagnosis and clinical management of confirmed and under suspicious patients as for the contacts of those who have tested positive to the disease.

The new elements designed-assured the Minister of Public Health,  José Portal Miranda- are in accordance with the transmission of the virus in the country, the current epidemiological situation in the country, the need to continue optimizing the use of resources, especially beds in hospitals, and vaccination process in Cuba.

According to that -he detailed during the exchange headed by the Cuban President and in which government authorities from all over the country rendered an account- the update modifies the way in which some issues associated not only to the diagnosis and clinical management but also to the classification of the people, according to the risk and symptomatology they present, their symptoms and severity, as well as the institutions from the admission of the patients, have been assumed up to now.

The head of the Public Health referred, that among others elements, that if the antigen test of a person presenting symptoms of the disease is positive, a PCR is immediately performed and without waiting for its confirmation, the corresponding therapeutic behavior is initiated, making it clear that the intention is to start treatment as soon as possible.  

Regarding the isolation of the contacts of confirmed cases- an aspect that varies substantially according to the way in which cases had been treated- he said that according to the new protocol, these persons will be isolated at home for 14 days and will be under clinical epidemiological surveillance in order to detect the appearance of symptoms.

In this regard, he drew attention to the importance of insurance that home isolation of all contacts is complied, for which the joint work of families physician, nurses and medicine students along with the community factors is essential.

It is precisely to health personnel, together with the family and the community factors that a more protagonist role corresponds, at this time, reflected Miranda- associated to the commented on the decision of reducing the large quantity of PCR samples that were carried out  in the country, since the high quantity of PCR samples that it is necessary to carry out  at present in all provinces, prevents supporting these studies in the way they were carried out in other moments of the pandemic.

Hence the insistence on how to work to identify persons suspected of carrying the disease in the communities. This is the main battle- he emphasized- and it is even more important to carry out the investigations in order to detect all the symptomatic cases and to work immediately o the diagnosis and the conduct to follow, according to the risk they show.

The member of the Political Bureau and Prime Minister, Manuel Marrero Cruz, restated that this new way of doing things can be considered as another way of carrying out population studies. “We do not stop looking for symptomatic people while we continue studying the population, although in a different way”

On the other hand, the Minister of Public Health said that for the diagnosis of travelers upon their entry to the country and as part of the check-up carried out at the border, and antigen test will be performed, and in case of being positive, it will be confirmed by a PCR test.

Prior to the conclusion of the quarantine- he continued-all travelers will be tested with a new PCR.

Another modified aspect by the new protocol is the criteria to be followed for discharging patients. In this regard, Miranda stated that those who continue to be positive of Covid 19 after 14 days or more, will be discharged with consent at home, if they are clinically well. After 14 days of being confirmed, he clarified, the risk of transmission is very low.

Regarding the care of confirmed patients defined as low risks patients, whether asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, will be admitted to institutions, as well as medium or high risk patients with mild or moderate symptoms. In both cases, the approved treatment for such cases will be applied.

No patients will be admitted at home if they do not have the appropriate conditions required to comply the isolation and treatments measures, those whose distance and access does not allow daily follow-up of their medical evolution, as well as those who are part of dysfunctional family.

Children under twelve years old, pregnant and postpartum women, children between 12 and 18 with associated chronic pathologies, decompensated patients with chronic diseases or those who present chronic conditions that could lead them to seriousness will not be admitted to the home but to hospitals.

With the implementation of the new elements that distinguish the updated protocol, said the Minister of Public Health, it will be possible to provide a better care to patients who need to be admitted in our institutions, whether in hospitals or in other facilities that had been set for that purpose.

The Prime Minister added that it is important that the new document reaches every doctor, nurse or medicine student with the responsibility of applying it.

“There is no room for mistakes here , what must be done is well established”, he said at the meeting, which was also presided by the member of the Political Bureau and Secretary of Organization and Cadre Policy, Roberto Morales Ojeda.

Thus, in the midst of the worst epidemiological scenario that has been experienced in Cuba since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, the confrontation with Covid 19 continues to be a challenge every day. Assuming it with intelligence and according to the compartment that manifest the disease, is also a guarantee for success at a time when the Cuban population immunization process is in advance as well as for the third dose of its vaccine candidates has been applied to more than two million people in the Largest of the Antilles.

( Taken from the Presidency official website)