One month after registering in Colombia the first case of coronavirus infection and after the containment stage, on March 2, the mitigation phase of the new coronavirus pandemic began.

The doctor Víctor Lozano, an infectious disease specialist from the Autonomous University of Mexico and a professor at the University of Cauca, explained the development, phases and main aspects that should be known about contagion by coronavirus, the difference between epidemic and pandemic, the Containment and hygiene measures to prevent disease, including hand washing, the importance of avoiding physical contact and social distance.

In an interview with the Unicauca’s newscast on Radio Unicauca Stereo, the doctor explained that an epidemic is a disease that occurs with unusual frequency within a certain country and for a period of time, while the pandemic is an epidemic that spreads more beyond the borders of a certain country or a continent. "It is very important to understand that the evolution from epidemic to pandemic occurs when circulation cases spread through many countries, so the National Government has taken different measures against the presence of COVID-19, designing appropriate strategies to prevent the spread of disease and mortality in the community.”

The coronavirus pandemic in Colombia began on March 6, 2020, after presenting the first confirmed case of a 19-year-old woman from Italy, so the country entered the epidemic phase shortly before the pandemic was declared. . To adequately manage this health crisis, a model is being developed that contemplates three phases: in the preparation phase, the National Government announced that cases of contagion were soon going to occur in Colombia and to contain it; it had to close the borders and the airports. "At that time we were getting information, acquiring technology and preparing ourselves at the hospital and community level with all the authorities, to start attending to and identifying the cases that would have entered the country," said Dr. Lozano.

Containment levels of the virus have been achieved so that the curve flattens and allows care for people in better conditions. "It was hoped that the cases of travelers from Europe or China could be properly identified in order to isolate them and initiate the second phase, which is the containment phase, to prevent more sources of disease spread from reaching the country ; In this phase, confinement was decreed to prevent the cases that were in the country from having more associates, ”said the health professional.

The teacher explained that the mitigation phase is underway when more than 10% of patients infected or diagnosed with an infection are not related to imported cases because there is no epidemiological link; When this percentage is exceeded and it is not known where the infection was acquired, a local circulation that is out of control is suspected.

The mitigation phase focuses more on caring for the sick population who are in hospitals because sometimes the prevention or containment that has been done is relegated a little. "It should be clarified that containment measures must not stop at home, nor isolation so that the population of infected does not increase, so conglomerations must be avoided even at home if there is someone sick, if possible it should be alone in a room or at least two meters away from other family members, with all the care respiratory hygiene, hand washing, surface washing and not trying to go outside”.

Currently, the rate of cases without a link, compared to those registered with a link, is 11%. In other words, 11% of the people with COVID-19 identified in Colombia do not have an epidemiological link above 10% in the mitigation stage. This is not a negative fact, it is a variation of a number, but it also indicates that the strategy should be emphasized to the general population.

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Faculty of Health Sciences
Email: fsalud@unicauca.edu.co