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The Department of Health reported 18 new deaths from COVID-19 on Thursday, including a 34-year-old woman from the Caguas region.
The reported deaths were recorded during the period from October 26, 2020 to January 5, 2021. Following this report the total death toll on the island rose to 1,588 and is broken down into 1,319 confirmed deaths and 269 probable.
New deaths reported:
– 50-year-old man from the Metro region
– 63-year-old man from the Metro region
– 71-year-old man from the Metro region
– 78-year-old man from the Metro region
– 85-year-old man from the Metro region
– 88-year-old woman from the Metro region
– 74-year-old man from the Aguadilla region
– 74-year-old man from the Arecibo region
– 34-year-old woman from the Caguas region
– 70-year-old man from the Caguas region
– 71-year-old man from the Caguas region
– 76-year-old man from the Caguas region
– 82-year-old man from the Caguas region
– 80-year-old man from the Fajardo region
– 80-year-old woman from the Ponce region
– 89-year-old man from the Bayamón region
According to Health, the total number of confirmed cases is 74,967, while the probable cases are 4,931. The number of suspicious cases amounts to 57,481. All new results are based on samples taken between December 22, 2020 and January 5, 2021.
The unit reported that the total number of confirmed cases was adjusted to add 19 cases prior to December 22, 2020. In addition, 13 duplicate cases were subtracted.
On the other hand, the total probable cases were adjusted to subtract 25 which tested positive in a molecular test.
Likewise, the row of suspicious cases was adjusted to subtract 17 cases that had a positive molecular test and three (3) that had a positive antigen test. Also, a case of December 16, 2020 was added, 2 duplicates were subtracted and one case with an incorrect date.
In the meantime, the number of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 was reduced to 411, of whom 69 are confined in an Intensive Care Unit and 73 are connected to a respirator.
Today there are three pediatric patients who are intensive. One of them is connected to a respirator.
To date, country hospitals have 231 intensive care beds and 826 artificial respirators available for adults.
Depending on the dependence, the confirmed positive case term refers to the contagions the result was validated by a PCR (molecular) test. The probable case is that the positive result in the disease was obtained by antigen testing. Meanwhile, suspicious cases, also known as antibody results, are those that tested positive for serology, and do not have a positive molecular or antigen test.
In addition, the agency explained a death confirmed by COVID-19 corresponds to the death of a person with one or more positive molecular tests. The probable death is the death of a patient who was diagnosed with COVID-19 by an antigen test or whose clinical picture meets the criteria for believing that he or she was suffering from COVID-19, but never had a molecular or antigen testing to detect the virus. Meanwhile, suspicious death refers to the death of a person in whom a specific antibody is detected in serum, plasma, or by a serological test with their blood.