The U.S. and international organization donate masks, while authorities report almost 600 covid-19 patients

Published Monday, April 13, 2020

The U.S. and international organization donate masks, while authorities report almost 600 covid-19 patients

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

The International Organization for Migration, IOM, with the support of the United States Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) donated 1,300 high-resistance N-95 surgical masks to the Ministry of Health.

On Sunday authorities report 595 infected covid-19 patients in the country. The ministry statistics show an average of 19 new patients infected per day. It is expected to rise over 600 patients by today’s afternoon updated report.

Established in 1951, IOM is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration and works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners.

"In the framework of the covid-19 emergency, IOM follows the attention of the health emergency, supporting the request of the General Directorate of Health, to donate surgical masks that are essential inputs in the pandemic mitigation process," said Roeland de Wilde, representative of the organization in Costa Rica.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), the organization provides protection, ease suffering, and resolve the plight of persecuted and uprooted people around the world on behalf of the U.S. citizens by working with other governments and international partners, sharing the burden of providing life-sustaining assistance and seeking durable solutions by working through multilateral systems to build global partnerships, ensure compliance with international norms and standards and promote best practices in humanitarian response.

"The bureau provides humanitarian assistance overseas to support efforts to protect and assist refugees and vulnerable immigrants around the world,” said PRM in its introduction.

According to IOM, the joint donation of both organizations is to provide support to government institutions, providing care to Costa Ricans and immigrants who require medical services in the face of the national emergency. "For this reason, these surgical masks are provided to the Ministry to reinforce medical centers."

This is an important supply of protective equipment for medical professionals who are directly attending people, the Ministry of Health said in its statement.

The authorities of the ministry recommend the use of this item to people with respiratory symptoms, and to people taking care of people who have a virus such as medical staff.

On Sunday afternoon the ministry updated the coronavirus covid-19 report, where it was confirmed that there is an increase of 18 new patients infected with the covid-19, taking the total to 595 cases in the country.

All 19 are being treated in public hospitals, where 14 of them have been reported in intensive care with delicate health conditions.

The patients' ages range from 1 to 87 with an average age of 38. Of those, 22 are children under the age of 13, 542 are between 18 and 70 years old, and 31 are elder patients over the age of 70.

Of those infected, 285 are women (47%) and 310 are men (53%). It was reported 38 foreigners are infected. Authorities stopped informing about the specific nationality of the foreigner patients.

It is reported that 56 coronavirus patients have fully recovered. Three patients died.

The most recent death was reported last week. He was a 45-year-old Costa Rican who entered the country from the U.S. in March, where it is presumed that he was infected. He was hospitalized for 10 days in the intensive care unit of the San Juan de Dios Hospital in San José.

The two other patients died in March. They were hospitalized in intensive care at San Rafael Hospital in Alajuela Province, both 87-years-old.

Since the virus was first detected in the country in March, 6,167 people have been ruled out.

For a daily updated number of patients infected throughout the country, visit the Covid-19 map of the UNED University.

As of today 1,848,503 people have been confirmed infected worldwide. The pandemic has killed 114,185 patients and more than 430,000 patients made a full recovery, according to recent statistics reported by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.

Last week the United Nations recognized the work of the Costa Rican health system, as well as the great commitment of health professionals who face covid-19, said the government on Wednesday.

The ministry confirmed on Wednesday that of the total covid-19 cases in the country, 102 patients work in healthcare.

"We recognize each person who makes the Health System in Costa Rica great with their work," said Alice Shackelford, UN representative. "The country is demonstrating that highly trained health workers, with a clear vocation and commitment and attention to all people, so that no one is left behind."

According to WHO representative María Dolores Pérez-Rosales, workers in the public health system inspire others to follow their example, and inspire to also protect them.

"Every time we follow the instructions of the health authorities regarding hygiene measures, physical distancing and staying at home, in addition to complying with the other administrative and social provisions, we are protecting them too," Pérez-Rosales said.

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Are international organizations donating medical supplies in your country to fight against the lethal covid-19? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com