Categories: Health Care Sector

Cuba Reports First Three Coronavirus Cases

On Wednesday night, Cuba’s Ministry of Health confirmed the first three cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country. The three infected persons are tourists who arrived from the Italian region of Lombardy.

The tourists arrived at the José Marti International Airport in Havana and stayed at a hostel in the southern town of Trinidad. They demonstrated respiratory symptoms and were admitted to a hospital where they tested positive for the virus.

Cuban authorities have been fine-tuning health protocols and its emergency response over the last several months.

José Angel Portal, Cuba’s Minister of Public Health, announced Monday on the TV show Mesa Redonda that the country has allocated funding and medicine, disposable protective clothing and medical equipment in the case of a COVID19 pandemic.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

The Cuban treatment protocol of coronavirus includes the use of the pharmaceutical drug Interferon alfa 2B recombinant (IFNrec). The drug is developed and manufactured on the Island and used in the treatment of viral infections such as Hepatitis B and C, Varicella-zoster virus, HIV/AIDS and dengue fever.

China, with the largest number of infected persons globally, has been using Interferon alpha 2B to combat the coronavirus. The rate of new infections in China has since decreased. The drug is able to make up for interferon deficiencies produced by the virus in the human body, and strengthen patients’ immune system, Cuba’s Granma newspaper reported.

Italy which has been hard hit by the virus, is currently under nation-wide lockdown and stores, restaurants, bars, and beauty salons have been ordered to close. COVID19 continues to spread globally, sparking emergency measures by governments worldwide.

The coronavirus was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.
Share
Published by
Zoe Veraz

Recent Posts

Cuba Amplifies Voice of the Global South at BRICS 2025 in Brazil

Cuba took center stage at the 17th BRICS 2025 in Rio de Janeiro this weekend,…

1 week ago

FIHAV 2025 Set for this November

Cuba has confirmed the 41st edition of the Havana International Fair (FIHAV 2025) will take…

3 weeks ago

WestJet CEO Meets with Cuban President Amid Hopes for Expansion of Passenger Flights to Havana

WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech met Wednesday with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel in Havana, a high-level meeting…

1 month ago

Cuba Expands Solar Parks as Energy Deficits Persist

Cuba is ramping up efforts to address energy shortages through the expansion of photovoltaic solar…

1 month ago

Cuban Pianist Marcos Madrigal Awarded French Order of Arts and Letters

Renowned Cuban pianist Marcos Madrigal has been named Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by…

2 months ago

Russia to Provide Funding of $1 Billion for Investment Projects in Cuba

Russia will provide funding of $1 billion dollars for investment projects in Cuba, according to…

2 months ago