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

Puerto Rico woke up this Monday to five new deaths as a result COVID-19 that increased the total number of deaths from the virus to 1,778, the Health Department.

The agency specified that the deaths occurred between January 19 and 24. Confirmed deaths totaled 1,494 confirmed deaths and 284 probable deaths.

New deaths reported:

-73-year-old man from the Arecibo region

-82-year-old man from Arecibo region

-88 year old male from the Metro region

-59 year old woman from the Caguas region

-71-year-old woman 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 may vary as the causes of death are registered and codified, which may take several days. ”Health stresses in his report.

The agency too reported 534 new confirmed positive cases, 92 probable positive cases and 531 presumed positive cases. Considering that the total of confirmed cases was 85,114, while the probable cases are 6,482. In total 66,352 suspicious cases.

However, Health has adjusted the total number of confirmed cases after adding three infections before January 9, 2021 and subtracting a duplicate case. It also corrected for all probable cases by subtracting 66 cases that passed a positive molecular test and adding seven cases by January 9. They also deducted a double case in this category.

Likewise, the total number of suspected cases was adjusted after 56 cases with a positive molecular test and four cases with a positive antigen test. They also added 76 suspected cases before January 9, leaving two duplicate cases.

Meanwhile, the number of patients admitted to hospital because of the virus was placed at 312, of which 56 are in an intensive care unit (ICU) and 41 are connected to a ventilator.

To date, the country’s hospitals have 206 intensive care beds and 864 adult respirators.

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, suspect 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 explained 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 has been diagnosed with COVID-19 through an antigen test or whose clinical picture meets the criteria to believe he had COVID-19 but has never undergone molecular or antigen testing to determine the 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.