On Thursday, March 5th, Costa Rica reported its first suspected case of the coronavirus. A 52-year old Costa Rican woman from Pococi, Limon, returned on Tuesday from a family vacation to Italy and Tunisia, and began to experience symptoms of the virus on Thursday. Later that same day, her 47-year old niece also began to experience symptoms, causing the entire family to self-quarantine while they awaited lab tests confirming whether or not they indeed have the virus which leads to COVID-19. Those test results are expected this afternoon.

Daniel Salas, Minister of Health of Costa Rica said, “We call on the population to stay calm.”
The current statistics of the toll this disease is taking on the world are as follows: Global death toll 3,390; Global infection toll 98,851; Recovered patients 55,807. Latin America has 35 cases thus far in 6 countries, with Brazil having the most and earliest cases.

COVID-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family, one previously unknown to medical experts. As with other coronaviruses, this virus is believed to have come from animals. Both the deadly MERS and SARS viruses came from animals. COVID-19 can cause viral pneumonia, for which antibiotics do not work. Flu antiviral drugs will not work either. Recovery depends on the strength of the immune system. Many who have died already from this disease were reportedly in poor health before being exposed to the virus.

The symptoms of this disease are similar to other flu viruses, including fever, coughs, and difficulty breathing. In severe cases, the final stages include organ failure. Costa Rican authorities have been preparing for the possibility of the arrival of the virus for several months, and state they have enough testing kits for the population. The United States does not have enough testing kits for its huge population, and a vaccine is at least one year away from being released to the public, even in its experimental phase.
The second suspected Costa Rican coronavirus patient has self-isolated with her mother and husband at their home in Heredia.
The Director of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stated yesterday about preparation for the coronavirus globally, “We call on country leaders to mobilize their plans, coordinating every part of government, not just the health ministry – security, diplomacy, finance, commerce, transport, trade, information and more – the whole government should be involved.”

The Star will continue to update information on the coronavirus and COVID-19

About the Author :