HAVANA, Cuba, Mar 18 (ACN) Cuba has the experience, technology, trained personnel and the reagent to deal with respiratory infections, and specifically to identify COVID-19 in suspected patients in a timely and accurate manner, affirmed Maria Guadalupe Guzman, head of the virology department at the Pedro Kouri Institute of Tropical Medicine (IPK).
During her speech at the Mesa Redonda radio and television show, the specialist explained that acute respiratory infections are the leading cause of death from infections in the country, but they are also a reason for hospitalization and in many cases for the incorrect use of antibiotics, which is why monitoring viral and bacterial respiratory infections is a daily routine in the national health system.
She noted that in the case of COVID-19 the diagnosis is made from the nasopharyngeal exudate where the particle is found and is identified by advanced molecular techniques, also used in diseases such as zika and dengue.
The technology is expensive, a real time C-proteine reactive (CRP) test can cost 40 to 50 USD and we have this technology in three laboratories in the country, at the IPK for the cases in Havana, Villa Clara for the center and in Santiago de Cuba for the east of the country, the Cuban expert emphasized.
The IPK strictly complies with the established protocols, the WHO guidelines, the experience of China, where the outbreak was born and which has managed to contain it, and the island's own experience in treating patients with acute respiratory conditions, she added.
The specialist also explained that the coronaviruses are large viruses and covered by a thin layer, which makes them susceptible to commonly used disinfectants, hence the importance of washing hands with soap and water frequently and complying with the other sanitary measures indicated.