Preliminarily sequencing studies of the SARS-COV-2 virus indicate that the Omicron variant has begun to predominate in Cuba, replacing other variants, including the Delta.
María Guadalupe Guzmán, DSc and head of the Research, Diagnosis and Reference Center at the Pedro Kouri Tropical Medicine Institute (IPK), reported this new development in the country during the weekly government meeting with experts and scientists participating in scientific and technological innovation activities to combat the coronavirus.
The meeting was headed by the member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz and moderated by Public Health Minister José Angel Portal Miranda.
It is obvious that the high transmissibility of COVID-19 worldwide these days is related to the Omicron variant, and Cuba is no different.
However, Guzmán pointed out, Cuba is better prepared than other nations to face the current resurgence thanks to the three-dose vaccination process, unique in the world, which includes children two years of age and up, and to the strategy of accelerating administration of boosters with our vaccines.
The scientist made this analysis during the debate following the update of pandemic forecast models in Cuba for upcoming days, presented at every meeting by Raúl Guinovart Díaz, PhD and dean of the Mathematics and Computer Science Department at the University of Havana.
After presenting the trend charts and their analysis, the expert noted that the Western region, particularly the provinces of Havana, Artemisa and Pinar del Río, are expected to present the most unfavorable situation in the next few weeks. Likewise, he said that the provinces of Holguin, Las Tunas, Santiago de Cuba and Granma would experience the highest peaks.
The models show that, qualitatively speaking, nationally we would face “a rapid growth of the confirmed number, with significant peaks that could strain the health care system before experiencing an abrupt descent in the month of March.”
Guinovart Díaz recommended preparing the country for this possible scenario and guaranteeing care for the most vulnerable, and to keep working on the primary health care system, home isolation and a communications campaign in addition to the accelerated vaccination campaign with the booster.
José Raúl de Armas Fernández, DSc and head of the Department of Communicable Diseases at the Ministry of Public Health (Minsap), agreed with his peers in terms of the strengths of the nation to face the new resurgence of COVID-19.
Cuba’s vaccination strategy, he explained, has been superior than those implemented in other countries. Our strategy includes the administration of three doses of our vaccines, when the protocol worldwide is to use only two, as well as the acceleration of the booster administration.
Scientist and experts also agree that collective and personal responsibility is essential, keeping in place all current hygiene and sanitary measures, especially the use of face masks, social distancing and frequent hand washing, among other well-known measures.
Pedro Más Bermejo, DSc and vice-president of the Cuban Epidemiology Society presented a study conducted in the last few weeks consisting of an epidemiological update of COVID-19 in Cuba and the world.
The research essentially supported the previous prognosis and debate. He emphasized that the transmissibility of the Omicron surpasses that of the Delta variant, implying a forecast of increasing cases, but that there would be a reduced number of deaths and patients developing to serious or critical conditions.
He also emphasized that the Cuban vaccines and the vaccination strategy make the difference in treatment of cases in this new scenario and that the administration of the booster in the adult population would help to control the current situation.
Care protocols updated
An update of the current protocol for the preventive and therapeutic management of COVID-19 was approved during the weekly government meeting with scientists and experts involved in the COVID battle.
Dr. Ileana Morales Suárez, head of Science and Technological Innovation at Minsap introduced the update proposal that includes preventive pharmacological and therapeutic measures for the current stage of the pandemic and criteria for hospital admission, among other updates.
Regarding hospital admission, she explained that all children under the age of two will be admitted, as well as children whose vaccination regimen is incomplete or are not vaccinated, regardless of their age and symptoms, while patients in pediatric age groups with risk factors will be clinically evaluated before being admitted.
Hospitals will also admit all pregnant women and new mothers, patients who are not vaccinated regardless of the reason and those whose symptoms and comorbidities, regardless of their age and vaccination status, must be admitted after an evaluation by the appropriate health unit.
The now-approved update of the protocol for preventive and therapeutic management also established the treatment of patients who are asymptomatic or present mild symptoms of the disease and have completed the vaccination regimen.
Regarding the latter, she stressed that all patients suspected of an infection (according to clinical and epidemiological criteria) and are confirmed cases who present mild symptoms or no symptoms at all (in other words, who do not fall in the categories previously mentioned), will be placed in home isolation, under supervision by the primary care physician.
“This type of patient will be treated under general hygienic - sanitary measures and expectant management and vigilance” Dr. Morales Suárez said.
In closing the meeting, the Prime Minister reflected on the vaccination process and the care protocol which have put the country in a more advantageous condition to face and control the current resurgence of COVID-19.
He said that despite all the advantages, we should remain on guard. We all have the duty to take care of ourselves and of everyone else.
The meeting was also attended by Communist Party Central Committee Secretariat member Jorge Luis Broche Lorenzo, and Deputy-Prime Ministers Inés María Chapman Waugh and Jorge Luis Perdomo Di-Lella.
Later, the Prime Minister and Vice-President of the Republic of Salvador Valdés Mesa headed a meeting last week of the Temporary Working Group for the prevention and control of COVID-19.
As has been customary during the pandemic, Party and government authorities of all provinces and the Isle of Youth Special Municipality took part in the meeting via videoconference.
Marrero Cruz presented a brief summary of the main topics and conclusions of the scientists and experts meeting in the fight against COVID-19, with whom he had just met, and insisted on staying alert for the Omicron variant.
He called for applying all the lessons learned in these two years of pandemic and rigorously following steps established in the updated protocol of action for the preventive and therapeutic management of the disease in the current stage.
This meeting was also attended by Jorge Luis Broche Lorenzo, member of the of the Communist Party Central Committee Secretariat and Deputy Prime Ministers Comandante de la Revolucion Ramiro Valdés Menéndez, Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz, Inés María Chapman Waugh, Alejandro Gil Fernández, Jorge Luis Tapia Fonseca, and Jorge Luis Perdomo Di-Lella.
