The 4-week Covid-19 positivity rate continues to drop and now is at 1.52%, with the 24-hour positivity at 1.23% as of Covid-19 Bulletin #950 dated 24 October 2022.
Nevertheless, virus expert Roberto Paulino, director of the Tropical Medicine and Global Health Institute at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Santo Domingo, says that physicians in the Dominican Republic at present are dealing with the health risks of three outbreaks – Covid-19 variants, seasonal influenza and respiratory syncytial virus.
In an interview with Listin Diario, Paulino explained that travelers may import the new Covid-19 variants that are circulating abroad. But he said the focus now is on seasonal influenza. The government has made available hundreds of thousands of free flu vaccines at regular vaccination stations nationwide.
Paulino also addressed the impact of the spreading of respiratory syncytial virus or RSV, the common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in a week or two, but RSV can be serious, especially for infants and older adults.
Meanwhile, the number of Covid-19 registered cases in the Dominican Republic for Bulletin #950 was 27, up from 24 on the previous day. The seven-day average (confirmed lab-reported cases) is at 29. The number of active cases is now at 208, down from 249 on the previous day. The seven-day active case average is 219.
Except in hospitals, every day less people wear facial masks in the Dominican Republic. Nevertheless, in recent days, given the impact of seasonal influenza, more people are again using face masks as a preventive measure.
As per Bulletin #950, with the deadline of 24 October 2022, the Ministry of Public Health has registered 647,452 PCR or antigen-confirmed cases since the first case on 1 March 2020.
As of the 24 October 2022 deadline, 4,384 persons are reported to have died of the disease in the Dominican Republic, a nation of more than 10.8 million adults since March 2020. The 1M/death rate is at 395 compared to the 2,744.50 average for the Americas region. The fatality rate in the DR is at 0.68%. The fatality rate per 1M inhabitants is 419.58.
As per the 24 October 2022 deadline, the cases continue to be concentrated in Santiago and Greater Santo Domingo, the leading metropolis. There were 11 registered cases in Santiago, 10 in Santo Domingo province, 3 in the National District, 2 in Duarte and 1 in Maria Trinidad Sánchez, There were no cases in the other provinces. There are reports that people that have traveled, have fallen ill with Covid-19 upon return.
The Ministry of Public Health also alerts people to take care to avoid breeding mosquitos that bring dengue.
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26 October 2022