The 10 new fatalities of COVID-19 are between 61 and 96 years old

The 10 new fatalities as a result of COVID-19 reported this Saturday by the Department of Health were older adults in the age range ranging from 61 to 96 years of age.

The dozen deaths, according to the agency, occurred between now and January, being yesterday one of the two days in which three deaths were recorded confirmed by COVID-19 by this report.

“The number of additional deaths should not be construed as occurring in the last 24 hours. Similarly, it is important to note that the total number of deaths may vary as the registration processes occur and coding of the causes of death, which can take several days, “Health warned in its report.

The unit has also indicated that the total death toll stood at 1,771 and is broken down into 1,483 deaths confirmed by COVID-19 and 288 as probable.

New reported deaths:

– 87-year-old woman from the Fajardo region

– 87-year-old man from the Fajardo region

– 61-year-old woman from the Metro region

– 70-year-old man from the Metro region

– 80-year-old man from the Metro region

– 88-year-old man from the Aguadilla region

– 96-year-old man from the Caguas region

– 82-year-old woman from the Caguas region

– 94-year-old man from the Bayamón region

– 65-year-old woman from the Arecibo region

The older adult population predominates as the population sector that is dying the most in Puerto Rico as a result of COVID-19, according to Health statistics. Although the vaccination process for the elderly began a few weeks ago, there are still hundreds of elderly citizens who have not received a turn to receive the first dose of the vaccine.

On the other hand, Health reported 687 new cases confirmed by the molecular test, 164 new probable cases by the antigen test, and 754 new cases by the serological test. The new results are based on samples taken between 7 and 21 January 2021.

The total number of confirmed cases increased to 83,670, but was adjusted after adding four cases prior to January 7, 2021. In addition, 11 duplicate cases were subtracted.

They also adjusted the total probable cases, which is today 6,403, by subtracting 62 cases that had a positive molecular test and adding nine cases with a date prior to January 7, 2021.

They also adjusted the total number of suspicious cases, which stands at 64,390, after subtracting 69 cases that had a positive molecular test and six cases that had a positive antigen test. Likewise, they added 118 cases prior to January 7, 2021 and subtracted one duplicate case in this category.

In the meantime, the number of patients hospitalized for the virus stood at 325, of whom 54 are confined in an Intensive Care Unit and 46 are connected to a respirator.

To date, hospitals have 203 intensive care beds and 863 artificial respirators available for adults.

Depending on the dependence, the confirmed positive case term refers to the contagions the result of which was validated by a PCR (molecular) test. The likely case is that the positive result to 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.