Cuba maintains active clinical-epidemiological surveillance

Cuba today maintains active clinical-epidemiological and microbiological surveillance at all levels of care of the National Health System, including border transit, to detect the circulation of respiratory viruses.

Cuban Minister of Public Health José Ángel Portal assured that although the World Health Organization warned on the increase in respiratory diseases caused by Covid-19, the current increase of these infections in the country is not significant.

Portal reported that epidemiological and microbiological surveillance studies, which are systematically carried out in Cuba's laboratory network, shows the prominence of the Respiratory Syncytial, Influenza A, Rhinovirus and Parainfluenza viruses.

In relation to Covid-19, he explained in an article published on the Minsap website, that in the last two months of 2023 and in 2024, the presence of three Ómicron subvariants has been mainly identified: XBB. 1.5, XBB.1.9 and XBB.1.16, classified by WHO as of interest or under surveillance.

Portal specified that in 2023 the behavior of this disease in Cuba continued its downward trend and the death of no person was regretted. Compared to 2022, 142,380 fewer cases were diagnosed after studies carried out on at-risk populations and serious patients.

At the end of last year, some two million 817 thousand consultations associated with Acute Respiratory Infections were carried out, which means 146 thousand 275 fewer medical visits for this cause than in 2022, with a reduction in behavior in the last nine weeks of the recently concluded year.

Meanwhile, the decrease in patients admitted to care units for serious cases was 22.6 percent, as a result of the control achieved over the circulation of the SARS-Cov-2 virus, which causes Covid-19.

Portal warned that taking into account that the country is in the coldest time of the year, which coincides with the seasonal period of Acute Respiratory Infections, it is necessary to comply with measures to protect health, mainly in vulnerable groups.

Likewise, he emphasized that the population must be attentive to the official information issued by the Minsap, since in recent days news about the epidemiological situation in other countries related to Covid-19, has circulated on social networks.

He also insisted on the importance of wearing masks in crowded places, going to the doctor if respiratory symptoms appear, and keeping the Anti Covid-19 vaccination schedule updated, especially in children who reach two years of age, pregnant women and vulnerable groups.