Cuban health authorities warn of high number of Covid-19 cases in pediatric patients

HAVANA, Cuba, Apr 12 (ACN) The country accumulates 10,766 cases of people diagnosed with Covid-19 in pediatric ages, an extremely high figure, according to Cuban experts, which is why they are calling attention to this phenomenon.

Francisco Duran Garcia, national director of epidemiology, stressed today that every day this month more than 100 people under 18 years of age have tested positive for the disease.

At the usual press conference held by the ministry of public health to update on the epidemiological situation due to Covid-19, a request was made for family members, neighbors and society in general to contribute to reduce this situation.

The 15.8 % of the cases diagnosed this April 11 are in the pediatric age range, eight children under one year old and, of them, five infants under six months old, all contacts of confirmed cases, a figure that should not be underestimated.

Duran Garcia stressed that the epidemiological situation is still very complex on the Caribbean island, as transmission is high in many regions, and although yesterday the number of cases decreased compared to previous days, we must continue monitoring compliance with the hygienic-sanitary measures.

There has been a prevalence of autochthonous transmission in the country in the last 15 days, with a strong presence of asymptomatic cases, a characteristic of the disease that makes it very difficult to control.

Incidence rates in Cuba are still high, 45.1 % of the cases are concentrated today in 12 municipalities, eight of them in Havana, the province with the highest rate (349 per 100,000 inhabitants), he said.

The expert informed that 467 patients have died so far, which means a lethality rate of 0.56 % in the country, although unfortunately, lower than that of the world and the Americas.