Holguín applies rapid antigen test for COVID-19
- Written by Lourdes Pichs Rodríguez
- Published in Holguin
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The province of Holguín began on Tuesday the application of the rapid COVID-19 antigen test to people with symptoms of the disease in healthcare and isolation centers, to reinforce the diagnosis of positive cases for the SARS CoV-2 coronavirus.
Dr. Katia Ochoa, provincial director of Public Health, said here that 47 of these tests were carried out in various assistance and isolation centers, of which seven were positive to the new coronavirus. These patients were immediately admitted to the Fermín Valdés Domínguez military hospital to begin required treatment.
The test, through which the virus can be detected in a short time - about 30 minutes - consists of a deep nasal swab that reveals results with high effectiveness. If the result is positive, the PCR test is performed in real time, as a defining test.
With the introduction of this test has helped to improve the active research and diagnosis of the disease in less time in moments of complex epidemiological situation due to the rise of autochthonous cases in the territory, where the Molecular Biology Laboratory has been processing more than a thousand PCR samples in real time on average.
The province of Holguín accumulates 333 confirmed cases, including 143 imported and 190 autochthonous, with a gradual increase in the last 15 days, when the incidence rate is 15.0 per 100,000 inhabitants.
In the last 15 days the municipalities of Holguín, Moa and Banes report an increase of autochthonous positive cases with 66, 25 and 11, respectively.
In this regard, Dr. Ochoa pointed out that there is a very large viral load in most of the 14 municipalities of the province, hence the need to increase the risk perception with compliance with the biosecurity measures and protocols established.
