Page Seven / La Paz
Between the last week of April and the first days of May, the Departmental Health Service (Sedes) warned of an increase in cases of Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) in La Paz.
“We have around 150,000 cases of Acute Respiratory Infections. In two weeks they have increased by almost 40%,” said the head of Epidemiology at the La Paz headquarters, Miguel Ángel Quispe.
According to the official, most cases of colds are recorded in educational establishments. “(This situation occurs) because there is overcrowding of classrooms. The presence of a child who has a respiratory infection quickly spreads to the rest of the classmates. So there are outbreaks,” explained Quispe.
ARIs are common colds that present with fever, cough, malaise, but the illness passes in three days. This condition is contagious and is transmitted through saliva. According to specialists, those most affected by ARIs are children between one and four years old.
If a person is with these discomforts, they should go immediately to a health center to rule out influenza or Covid-19.
This rise in cases filled the Children’s Hospital in La Paz. According to the doctor and the head of Infectious Diseases of this health establishment, Juan Pablo Rodríguez, cases of respiratory infections are increasing.
“This normally happens every year, but this time it is more than expected because winter is just beginning. We are seeing the outbreak of a virus called: respiratory syncytial and that causes respiratory infections every year”, explained the doctor to Unitel.
According to Rodríguez, children of all ages are admitted to the hospital, especially those who are infants (under two years of age) or have underlying diseases. “We are -practically- with the room full, 90% of these children are positive for this virus. There was a need to take others (patients) to other rooms; we are talking about 20 children who have respiratory symptoms, ”he explained.
Tolerance in schools
Given the increase in ARI cases and the arrival of the cold season, the Departmental Directorate of Education of La Paz reported that there will be tolerance for children with cold symptoms and requested that doctors from health centers be able to visit schools.
According to the departmental director of Education, Carmelo López, with the arrival of low temperatures in the country there is a risk that students will catch Covid-19 or catch a cold.
He asked the student communities to comply with the protocol of the established biosecurity measures.
“If the child presents with the flu, we are giving him tolerance so that he can be treated at home and at the closest health centers,” said López.
In addition, the Minister of Education, Édgar Pary, reported that from tomorrow the winter schedule will apply for educational units in the departments of La Paz, Oruro and Potosí.
The provision comes into force due to the low temperatures in the west of the country. A tolerance of 30 minutes was determined for entering schools.
Pary announced that the winter schedule could be extended until the beginning of the pedagogical recess, which will begin on July 4 and will last 15 days.
The most effective measures to prevent the transmission of ARIs are six: frequent hand washing, the use of alcohol gel, covering the sneeze with the forearm or handkerchief, not going to crowded places and not greeting with a kiss.
A healthy diet with fruits and vegetables, especially those containing vitamin C, D and zinc, is added to the list.
Among the recommended fruits are grapefruits, oranges, tangerines, papayas and mangoes.
Some advices
- Important To prevent the spread of ARI, experts recommend that the population take more shelter, especially in the morning and at night, when the lowest temperatures are recorded.
- Suggestion The wira wira is one of the most recommended plants for its properties to combat cough, asthma, bronchitis, cold and fever. The characteristic of this species is a fluff that covers the lead-colored leaves, which are elongated and have a sweet aroma.
- Recommendation Eucalyptus is another extraordinary complement to decongest the respiratory tract and help clean the environment through vaporizations.
