Escambray ENGLISH EDITION
Although there are no cases of the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Cuba, the country is reinforcing its border epidemiological surveillance system to minimize the risk of spreading the disease, experts from the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP by its Spanish acronym) announced on Monday in Havana.
Dr. Francisco Duran, national director of Epidemiology of MINSAP, explained to the press that since the first reports of the disease, which began to flow in China on December 31, 2019, Cuba activated all its plans and developed one for its confrontation, led by MINSAP and composed of several agencies.
The official said that no cases have been registered in Cuba, nor are there any suspicions, nor are there any people under surveillance.
There are international regulations in ports, airports and marinas whereby the new coronavirus could enter, and now health controls on passengers are being strengthened, Duran said. He reiterated the clinical manifestation is characterized by fever, shortness of breath and lung lesions, and cases with diarrhea and vomiting have also been reported.
It has been proven that it is transmitted from person to person through saliva droplets, coughing, sneezing without adequate protection or touching someone who has the virus, he warned.
Treatment for this coronavirus is symptomatic, with no antibiotics or antivirals, Dr. Duran remarked.
For his part, Dr. Carmelo Trujillo, head of the Cuban Ministry of Health’s International Health Control department, stressed that so far there is no risk in Cuba.
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