Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Carissa F. Etienne, today recommended that countries intensify their plans to prepare and respond to the coronavirus given the appearance of cases in the region of the Americas.
The PAHO says the Ministry of Health in Brazil today confirmed the country’s first case of COVID-19.The patient is a 61-year-old man who recently returned from travel to Italy, where an outbreak of the virus has been ongoing since last week. PAHO says the Brazilian authorities are taking measures to prevent further spread of the disease including a careful investigation of all relevant information and following up with anyone who may have come in contact with the infected patient. The first imported case of COVID-19 in the Americas was identified on 21 January in the United States, and a few days later, on 25 January, Canada reported its first confirmed case.Since then, there have been 25 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in North America. So far, COVID-19 has already affected 81,109 people in 38 countries, 78, 191 of them in China, according to the World Health Organization.“For several weeks, countries in the Americas have been preparing for the possible importation of cases of COVID-19. There are measures in place for detecting, diagnosing and caring for patients with disease,” said Etienne. “A strong emphasis on stopping transmission continues to be an important objective while recognizing that the situation may vary from country to country and will require tailored responses. “A multisectoral response to ensure strengthened surveillance, health service readiness, preventing spread, and maintaining essential services, are key interventions to slow transmission and save lives. Countries of the Americas have already been working on these areas since 2009 as part of their pandemic influenza plans. PAHO stands ready to support countries in rolling out these plans,” she added COVID-19 is transmitted from person to person through droplets and in contact with contaminated surfaces. The disease is spread primarily by people who already show symptoms. Current information suggests that a single infected person can infect between 1 to 4 close contacts. In the event of an outbreak of COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean, PAHO says the impact on health services may be significant with the possibility that health services may become overwhelmed, including a high-demand for specialized hospital services such as intensive care.
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