New record of covid-19 infections with high economic impact

 Panama set a new record for covid-19 infections during the epidemiological week Jan.9 -15 with 45,329 cases. The nearest thing it got before was between January 3 and 9, 2021, during the second wave, when there were 25,008 and between January 2 and 8, 2022, when 24,441 were counted.

The epidemiologist Arturo Rebollón and the former director of the Gorgas Commemorative Institute for Health Studies, Javier Nieto, agree that there is no need to fear, since it was the expected scenario.  

Rebollón even projects that up to 30,000 cases per day could be reached at the peak of this fourth wave. The epidemiologist says  that the country is in the midst of an “acceleration of cases without the collapse of the health system, but with a high socioeconomic impact.”

Hospitalizations
At the moment, deaths and hospitalizations, although they are growing, do not do so in the same proportion as cases. Until January 14, 2022, there were 546 hospitalized, while for the same date last year there were 2,677, both in the ward and in intensive care units. And there  were 629 deaths.

On Monday, it will hold an extraordinary Cabinet Council, only to analyze the Covid-19 issue. One of the main concerns is the number of the infected population, despite the fact that the occupation of beds in hospitals is around 50%.

President of the Republic, Laurentino Cortizo, explained that, in less than a month, the positivity rates have increased

by almost 20%. “On December 25, 2021, positivity was at 6.7% and by January 12 it was 27%,”.

The president also urged the population to get the third booster shot.