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Puerto Rico woke up this Monday to 12 new deaths from COVID-19 bringing the total number of deaths from the virus to 1,642, while a further 303 confirmed positive cases, 92 probable positive cases and 219 presumptive positive cases were reported.
According to Health Department, the deaths reported today occurred between December 26, 2020 and January 8, 2021.
New deaths reported:
- 56-year-old man from the Metro region
- 79-year-old man from the Metro region
- 69-year-old man from the Metro region
- 85-year-old woman from the Bayamón region
- 55-year-old woman from the Bayamón region
- 89-year-old woman from the Bayamón region
- 82-year-old woman from the Ponce region
- 64-year-old man from the Arecibo region
- 86-year-old man from the Arecibo region
- 74-year-old woman from the Arecibo region
- 89-year-old woman from the Caguas region
- 56-year-old male from the Caguas region
“The number of additional deaths should not be interpreted as being in the past 24 hours. Likewise, it is important to note that the total number of deaths can vary as the processes of registration and codification of causes of death are carried out, which can take several days. ”, the health report says.
With the new infections, the total number of confirmed cases is 77,927, the probable cases 5,541 and the suspects 58,872. The agency explained that the total number of confirmed cases had been adjusted after adding six cases before the date of December 26, 2020 and 12 duplicate cases.
Likewise, they adjusted the total number of probable cases after the remaining 40 cases with a positive molecular test. The total of the suspected cases was also corrected by subtracting 21 cases with a positive molecular test and one case with a probable test. Likewise, they added six cases before the date of December 25, 2020, and eight duplicate cases were deducted in this category.
Meanwhile, the number of patients hospitalized for the virus fell to 392, of whom 69 are locked in an intensive care unit and 73 are connected to a ventilator. A minor is also in intensive care. To date, the country’s hospitals have 236 intensive care beds and 800 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 equates to a person’s death 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.