In the early hours of March 18, the 61-year-old Italian patient being treated in the intensive care unit of the Pedro Kouri Institute of Tropical Medicine died, after remaining in a critical condition several days.
Despite efforts made by the intensive care team that directly assisted him, along with a group of experts from the Ministry of Public Health following his condition, complications that developed as a result of the coronavirus infection led to his death. We deeply regret this loss and convey our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.
Additionally, during the evening hours March 17, three new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed by the molecular biology laboratory of the Villa Clara Provincial Hygiene and Epidemiology Center, for a total of 10 in the country.
The first case involves a 25-year-old Cuban citizen, resident in the municipality of Santa Clara, Villa Clara province. He arrived in the country on March 8, from Madrid, Spain. He began to exhibit symptoms on the 14th and sought medical attention at his family doctor's office the following day. He was referred and admitted to Manuel Piti Fajardo Hospital in the city of Santa Clara. He remains in isolation at this center, and is responding positively to treatment, thus far. During transmission investigation, five individuals with whom he had contact were identified, all now isolated and asymptomatic.
The second case is a 67-year-old Cuban citizen, a resident in the city of Santa Clara, Villa Clara province. She arrived in the country on March 11 from the U.S. state of New Jersey. She began to exhibit symptoms on the 12th, and sought medical attention at his family doctor's office on the 16th. Her diagnosis indicated the possibility of infection and she was referred and admitted to Manuel Piti Fajardo Hospital in that province. During the transmission investigation conducted, five contacts were identified, all of them now isolated and asymptomatic. She remains isolated with satisfactory progress to date.
The third case involves a U.S. citizen, 77 years of age, who arrived in the country on March 8, coming from the state of California. He began to exhibit respiratory symptoms on the 14th, as noted by the driver and guide of his tourist group in the city of Trinidad, Sancti Spíritus province. He was taken to the international clinic there, early March 15, where he reported his suspicious symptoms, and was referred and admitted to the Isolation Center in the province of Villa Clara. During the transmission investigation carried out, 10 contacts were identified, all isolated and asymptomatic. His condition, at this time, remains satisfactory.
