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Introduction: In Santiago de Cuba province, the actions applied to control the epidemic in 2020 caused changes and negative effects on many of the health services that are usually provided in the territory.
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Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 spreads, mainly, through close contact among people, hence the importance of detecting contacts of confirmed cases and identifying the mode of transmission between them.
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Introduction: In Santiago de Cuba province, the actions applied to control the epidemic in 2020 caused changes and negative effects on many of the health services that are usually provided in the territory. Objective: To identify the effect of the COVID-19 epidemic on health services in Santiago de Cuba province during 2020. Methods: A retrospective ecological study was conducted with time series as units of comparative analysis in Santiago de Cuba province as the only geographical territory to evaluate the effects of COVID-19 on the provision of health services during 2020. Some health service indicators from the time series from 2015 to 2019 were selected. The data source was official statistics. The percentage of change was estimated and a classification of the effects of COVID-19 according to its magnitude and meaning was proposed. Results: There were changes in the number and types of health services in terms of outpatient and emergency medical consultations, hospital admissions and average stay of cardiology activities related to admissions, coronary angiographies performed, pacemakers implanted and operations performed, elective surgical activities and emergency operations, as well as outpatient and minimal access ones, rehabilitative treatments, studies for diagnosis through the use of clinical and microbiology laboratories, imaging studies in general, and the most affected were those related to Stomatology, and kidney and corneal transplants. Conclusions: The COVID-19 epidemic had a negative effect on the functioning of health services as there were unfavorable changes in the number of services provided at the primary and secondary care levels, which can impact on the health of vulnerable people if alternative strategies are not established.
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Introduction: From the onset of COVID-19 epidemic, a multidisciplinary team is formed in Santiago de Cuba with the participation of several institutions and activated by the Provincial Defense Council. Integrated epidemiological analysis, government management and social response would be decisive in controlling the disease. Objectives: To identify possible groups of COVID-19 cases in the Santiago de Cuba province and to describe the transmission according to epidemiological variables.
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Objective: To describe the behaviour of COVID-19 confirmed cases from Santiago de Cuba province between March and April, 2020. Methods: It was carried out a cross-sectional, observational descriptive study taking as studied population 49 COVID-19 positive cases in Santiago de Cuba province between March and April, 2020. There were selected clinic and epidemiologic variables. As statistical technique it was applied the implicative statistical analysis with its three forms: similarity, cohesive, and implicative. Results: It was obtained a set of all the relations among the studied variables in a graphic way, being highlighted the differences among both sexes since the females were related to the asymptomatic category and the males to symptomatic, seriously ill and deceased categories;while older adults were related with the higher amount of personal pathological background and the deceased ones, and young adults were related to the backgrounds and respiratory system’s symptoms. Conclusions: This study allows to visualize, as a distinctive feature of COVID-19 cases´ behaviour in Santiago de Cuba province, that the highest risk sub-group is the one of male 2 older adults with underlying diseases, mainly arterial hypertension, which is similar to what is happening in other regions of the world. © 2020, Editorial Ciencias Medicas. All rights reserved.
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Introduction: COVID-19, a disease caused by the virus named SARS-CoV-2, was declared pandemic by the WHO in March 2020. Until 9 June Cuba had reported 2 211 cases and 83 deaths. Forty-nine of these cases were from Santiago de Cuba, for a lethality of 6.12. Objective: Characterize COVID-19 morbidity in Santiago de Cuba based on the analysis of selected epidemiological, clinical and diagnostic aspects. Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted of the 49 patients confirmed in the province. A review was performed of databases, statistics, and clinical and epidemiological records. Estimation was made of incidence rates, arithmetic mean and median, percentage difference between the rates, and Fischer's exact test. Statistical association was determined with the software EPIDAT, using a confidence level of 95% and a significance level of ≤ 0.05. Results: The incidence rate was 4.7 per 1 000 inhabitants. The municipalities involved were Santiago, Contramaestre and Palma Soriano. The greatest risk lay in patients aged over 60 years, among whom coughing, fever and rhinitis were common symptoms. Of the patients studied, 26.53% were asymptomatic. The main associated comorbidities were hypertension and neurological and respiratory disorders. The results of the diagnostic procedures applied were positive RT-PCR, high LDH, C-reactive protein, hyperglycemia and diffuse inflammatory pulmonary infiltrate. A statistical association was found between the evolution period, 7 and more days from symptom onset to admission, and the degree of severity. Conclusions: The highest risk of becoming ill and dying was found in the most advanced ages of life. The most common symptoms behaved in a manner similar to the one described in the bibliography consulted, and so did the laboratory results obtained. Delay in reporting to health institutions and associated comorbidities were risks for progression to severity and death. © 2020, Editorial Ciencias Medicas. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Objective: To describe the behaviour of COVID-19 confirmed cases from Santiago de Cuba province between March and April, 2020.