Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 continues prevailing in Cuba

HAVANA, Cuba, Mar 21 (ACN) The omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 continues prevailing in Cuba, and no new strains of the pathogen have been detected, confirmed today the national director of epidemiology, Francisco Duran.

In his weekly television presentation, the expert pointed out that as a result of sequencing studies, 24 cases of this variant were detected last week throughout the national territory.

From March 13 to 19, three deaths occurred in the country due to complications associated to COVID-19, in the provinces of Ciego de Avila, Camagüey and Guantanamo.

According to the specialist, 11 people have died so far in March, for a lethality rate of 0.10 %, the lowest since the outbreak of the pandemic.

During the week, 80,405 samples were processed for the diagnosis of the disease, 1,876 more than in the previous seven days, Duran added.

As a result, 3,901 positive samples were detected, for an average of 557 cases per day.

The official warned that the provinces of Sancti Spiritus, Holguin and Ciego de Avila concentrate 42.1 % of the diagnosed cases, which is why they are the most at-risk areas in the country.

On the other hand, Havana and the special municipality Isle of Youth have the lowest incidence rates of COVID-19 cases.

As for pediatric cases, 1,380 patients were reported during the last seven days, which represents an increase of 449 cases in relation to the previous week (931), for an average of 197 per day.

According to the national director of epidemiology, currently between 80 and 90 % of the cases are admitted at home, taking into account that their ages are not at risk, they have completed the vaccination schedule, and do not have comorbidities or symptoms.

At the end of this Sunday, 3,390 of the patients admitted with a positive diagnosis of the pathogen have a stable clinical evolution, and 21 are being treated in ICU: four in critical condition and 17 in serious.

With one death yesterday, there are now 8,507 deaths in Cuba due to COVID-19, while 1,070,224 patients have been recovered, a figure equivalent to 98.9% of those diagnosed since the outbreak of the epidemic in the country, on March 2020.