Although the spread of the coronavirus is of serious to concern to the world’s citizens, it is a relief to know that as of last week on Monday, Jan. 27, 2020, the Health Ministry announced that Costa Rica does not have any suspected cases of the deadly virus.
Here is a link to a world map that is updated daily showing areas affected and number of people that have this horrid virus. You can see that Costa Rica is free of the virus.
https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6
Protocols have been established for public and private health centers to follow in the event of a suspected case of the virus, reports the English-language newspaper The Tico Times. These protocols stipulate that the infected person(s) will be quarantined and all people with whom they have come in contact in the days prior to the onset of symptoms will also be examined. Previous viruses were processed according to these protocols, namely the AH1N1 and SARS viruses, and an epidemic was avoided.
Costa Rica has no direct flights from China, so passengers are not being screened at the airports at this time.
The virus emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in the Hubei province. According to WebMD, symptoms of coronavirus are similar to any other upper-respiratory infection, including runny nose, cough, sore throat, and sometimes fever, making detection tricky. However, as the virus advances it can cause pneumonia, acute respiratory syndrome and kidney failure. Persons who have recently returned from a trip to China should keep a careful eye on their health and seek medical attention should any of the initial symptoms appear. Immediately inform the attending medical personnel of your recent travels. Be aware of the symptoms and be safe.
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