  The so-called
covid-19 radar, is capable of providing virus case
alerts with 82% accuracy, up to two weeks before
cases begin to register
as positive. - A.M. Costa Rica wire services photo. |
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 Published Wednesday, August 5, 2020 Covid-19
radar can anticipate virus
outbreaks in communities By the A.M. Costa Rica staff The new symptoms surveillance system, so-called covid-19 radar, is capable of providing virus case alerts with 82% accuracy, up to two weeks before cases begin to register as positive, Social Security said. According to Social Security, the radar system serves on different levels. It records a database of symptoms reported by people in public clinics, relates them to the background symptoms of covid-19, and shows the probability of more cases occurring in a specific area. The opportunity to have data early allows health authorities to guide surveillance in the area with diagnostic tests, as well as helping authorities establish timely strategies to minimize the impact of contagion on the population. This new system works in three phases: Registration of symptoms. Once the patient arrives at a clinic or public hospital presenting a fever or some other suspicious symptom of covid-19, the information is recorded into the Syndromic Surveillance radar system. Data analysis. The information is sent to a central server that analyzes the patient's data every 24 hours and, using the algorithms that the radar generates into developing alerts. Alert classification. The alerts are presented in three different levels. Alert C1, expresses the probability of being on the verge of an outbreak at 60 percent. Alert C2 indicates the probability of 70 percent. Alert C3 shows the probability of 82% of being at risk of an outbreak. This information allows establishing intervention strategies in the face of the danger of infection by covid-19. The early warnings generated by the radar take into account the person's place of residence, allowing them to determine where the risk is concentrated. Identifying the place where there is a possible outbreak and identifying communities where precautionary measures should be increased will allow for better preparedness. The radar gives about a two week advance alert of the probability of having virus outbreaks in specific communities, Social Security said in its statement. The radar system is vital in the fight against the virus, due to the rapid increase in infected people and deaths throughout the country. As of Tuesday afternoon, the Ministry of Health provided the following statistics on the status of the virus in the country: • 435 new covid-19 cases, bringing the total to 13,066 active cases. The ages of patients infected range from a three-month-old baby to a 100-year-old person. • 5,386 foreign-born people have been infected of the 19,837 cases since March, approximately 27% of the total cases. • 391 patients are being treated in public hospitals, where 293 patients are in recovery rooms and 98 are in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with delicate health conditions. Most of the infected patients are quarantined in their homes. • 6,590 coronavirus patients have fully recovered, which is a 33,2% recovery rate. • 63,715 people have been ruled out. • 96,110 medical covid-19 tests have been made. • 181 deaths of patients infected with covid-19 since March. Which is a 0.9% death rate. Of these 66 were women and 115 men. On Tuesday, July 30, authorities reported 30 foreign-born people had died since March, 22% of the dead patients. However, the ministry confirmed that they will not continue providing information on the number of foreign-born people who die from covid-19 in the country. Readers can see the updated number of total patients in each district at the National Distance Education University on its Covid-19 Map. As of Tuesday night, the pandemic has killed 694,233 patients worldwide, according to recent statistics reported by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University. ---------------------------------- What type of technology is used in your country to forecast new outbreaks of covid-19? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com |
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