A 52-year old Costa Rican woman has now been confirmed as the first person in the country suspected of having the coronavirus, or COVID-19. The woman is a resident of Pococi, and has recently returned from travel in Italy and Tunisia. She returned to Costa Rica on February 29, and soon thereafter manifested the symptoms of COVID-19, or perhaps a similar virus.

Her first test for the coronavirus was negative, based on the respiratory panel (Film Array), but out of extreme caution, the patient has been treated as though the virus were possibly present in her system. Meanwhile, samples from her tests have been forwarded for further study to INCIENSA, the health department’s lab for study of disease. The results should be back shortly. She remains at home in self-isolation awaiting test results.
The Ministry of Health has been preparing for just such an incident for weeks, and immediately activated all protocols for testing, isolating, treating, and of course, informing and protecting the public. They have been collecting the names of the patient’s contacts since her return to Costa Rica and following up with each person.

“The country is prepared for this moment, prepared now for several weeks, with the goal of guarding the health of the public, and using the efforts of all institutions which might be of use in fighting this new, unknown virus”, said a representative of the Ministry of Health.

He went on to say that he encourages the public to remain calm — at the moment this is a suspicious case — emphasis on suspicious because for now, we cannot confirm even a single case of COVID-19 in Costa Rica.
Daniel Salas, Minister of Health for Costa Rica, reminds everyone to maintain the highest standards of personal hygiene. This includes:
• Washing hands often and thoroughly with soap and water, taking a full 30 seconds to do so, or the time it takes to sing Happy Birthday.
• Covering one’s mouth for either a sneeze or a cough, preferably with a tissue, or with your elbow, and washing hands immediately afterwards. Dispose of the tissue.
• Notifying authorities if one has spent 14 days in one of the countries now confirmed as having the coronavirus.

The Star is monitoring the Health Department’s updates and will inform the public immediately if the patient’s results for COVID-19 are positive, or if some of her contacts test positive.

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