Call to protect older adults in Cuba from COVID-19

Havana, February 6 (RHC)-- A call to protect the elderly, in view of the increase in deaths of this age group due to COVID-19, emerged at a meeting presided over by Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel.

At the meeting of the working group to confront the disease, it was learned that during January and so far this month, 108 people lost their lives, 80 percent of them over 70 years of age.

Carilda Peña, vice-minister of Public Health in the Antillean nation, commented that comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, renal problems and mental disability play a role.

In declarations to the press, the vice minister urged to go immediately to the doctor when symptoms appear and to increase the care of the elderly and people with chronic diseases.

At the meeting, presided over by the Prime Minister of the Republic, Manuel Marrero, it was also reported that a work team has been working for several days in the central province of Ciego de Avila and the special municipality of Isla de la Juventud, territories with high transmission figures.

Cuba reported 1,380 new confirmed cases of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the Caribbean nation maintains for the fifth consecutive day an average of 1,000 cases diagnosed daily.

The day before, the death of four people due to complications associated with Covid-19 was regretted, bringing to 8,431 the number of deaths in the Caribbean nation due to this cause.