Teacher and hospital worker are virus victims


Booking.com	Published Tuesday, March 10, 2020 - 5:00 a.m.- Teacher and hospital worker are virus victims By the A.M. Costa Rica staff A hospital employee in Alajuela is one of the confirmed cases of coronavirus, and a teacher in a Desamparados school is suspected of carrying the disease. The teacher works at the Reverendo Francisco Schmitz School in the community of Porvenir de Desamparados in the canton adjacent to San José Centro, the Ministry of Education confirmed Monday. The ministry classes for 10 days at the school and ordered a thorough cleaning of the educational center. The school has 592 students and 48 employees, said the ministry. Social Security said it is taking action because the infection of an employee and a patient has been confirmed at San Rafael Hospital in Alajuela Centro. Because of the virus emergency, some of the medical services offered to the public there will be temporarily closed as a safety measure for patients who are already hospitalized, said Social Security. Other actions at San Rafael Hospital are the suspension of some surgeries and suspension of medical consultation to the public, the agency said. Only patients requiring emergency surgery will be treated, and patients who are in the category of being able to continue treatment in their homes will be discharged, it added. Only cases of patients with respiratory problems will be treated in emergency room care at that specific hospital. Patients with medical appointments will be rescheduled in other medical centers located in Alajuela, to prioritize people with a respiratory infection that may be associated with the coronavirus, authorities said. According to Social Security, people can go to any of the other 24 emergency rooms that operate within hospitals, or go to one of 77 emergency rooms that operate in community clinics known as Ebais. Authorities called on the public to support the security measures that have been implemented at the San Rafael Hospital. The hospital staff is expecting an increase in appointments for coronavirus covid-19, as well as patients with more serious infections. Changes in public medical attention will continue until further notice, according to the authorities. The country's coronavirus cases rise to nine on Sunday. The Ministry of Health reported today that laboratory tests may confirm more positive cases of coronavirus in Costa Rica. The ministry gave confirmed cases summaries: - A U.S. woman, 49, whose condition was confirmed Friday. This case is being classified as an imported virus. She entered the country on March 1 from New York at Juan Santamaría International Airport. She had no symptoms when she entered the country. After several days in Costa Rica that changed. She informed authorities that in New York she had contact with a patient who had coronavirus. Friday lab tests confirmed that she was the first case of coronavirus in Costa Rica. She is receiving medical treatment. Both she and her husband are quarantined in a hotel in the San José Province. Authorities didn’t provide information about which hotel. - A U.S. citizen man, 49, husband of the case mentioned above. His ailment was also confirmed Friday. He traveled with his wife and did not show any symptoms when entering the country. He also reported having had contact with a coronavirus patient in New York before traveling to Costa Rica. The medical exams confirmed he is infected with the virus. However, Sunday authorities said that he doesn’t yet have the symptoms of the disease. - A Costa Rican man, 54, who lives in Alajuela Province. He remains in delicate condition. Officials identified him Monday as an employee at San Rafael Hospital where he is also being treated for a lung infection and diabetes. According to the authorities, the man arrived from Panamá on Feb. 22 without symptoms at Juan Santamaría International Airport. Days later he went to a hospital where he was listed as a suspected case. Saturday, authorities confirmed his infection with coronavirus. The type of job the man has at the hospital was not disclosed. - A Costa Rican woman, 73. She’s the aunt of the hospital employee Health workers presumed that he infected her. Both are in quarantine in the Alajuela public hospital. - A Costa Rican woman, 54. She was the caregiver for the 73-year-old woman. It’s presumed that the 54-year-old patient in intensive care at San Rafael Hospital infected her. She also remains in quarantine in the Alajuela public hospital. - A Costa Rican woman, 41. She’s a relative of the man who came from Panamá. It’s presumed that the man who is hospitalized also infected this woman. She’s also in quarantine in the Alajuela public hospital. - A Costa Rican woman, 56. She was also a relative of the man who came from Panama. Staffers also presume the man also infected her. She too remains in quarantine at the Alajuela public hospital. - A Costa Rican man, 34. He’s also a relative of the man who came from Panamá. It’s presumed that the man also infected this person. He also remains in quarantine in the Alajuela public hospital. - A U.S. citizen, 70-year-old. The woman is a resident in Costa Rica who recently came from the U.S. She is in quarantine in an unnamed public hospital. The authorities confirmed there are more possible cases of virus-infected individuals. These cases include foreigners and Costa Ricans from the provinces of San José, Heredia, Guanacaste and Alajuela. All suspicious cases are kept in isolation, either in hotels or hospitals. Specialists are in the process of confirming or ruling out coronavirus with lab tests. Changes in public medical attention will continue until further notice, according to the authorities. Covd-19 has reached a global level. There are 114,422 reported coronavirus cases around the world, and 4,027 patients died, according to the most current information from the World Health Organization. In China, where the virus was first detected, 3,136 patients died. The major number of cases of death outside of China are in Italy with 463, 237 in Iran, 54 in South Korea, 27 in the U.S., 30 in France, and 30 in Spain. World Health reported 105 countries had patients infected with COVID-19. In the America continent cases were confirmed in Canada, the U.S., Brazil, Ecuador, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Peru, Colombia, Paraguay, Panama and Costa Rica as well. ------------------------------- Have you heard about tourists or expats presenting influenza symptoms during their trip to Costa Rica after the coronavirus worldwide crisis? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com