The Minister of Health, Hernando Cevallos, spoke this Monday, January 24, about the increase in deaths from COVID-19 in the country. The head of the sector explained that this occurs as a result of the worsening of cases, which responds to the large number of infections, which – according to estimates – must have risen to half a million a week.
“92% of people who are in intensive care are not vaccinated and it is shown according to statistics that they have 21 times more chances of lethality, compared to the vaccinated. The rest are older people or have some comorbidity that compromises their defensive system”, Cevallos underlined in RPP.
For this reason, he emphasized the importance of receiving the third booster dose to avoid an aggravation of the disease.
deceased children
Cevallos also confirmed that 856 children have died as a result of COVID-19 so far in the pandemic.
“The number (of deceased children) is very high in the first and second waves. In this wave (the third) what we have registered is less than 10 deceased children, but between the first and second there are 856 children who have died in the country”, he specified.
Regarding the reasons, Cevallos mentioned “the precariousness of our health system, without a doubt, and also the lack of vaccination”.
Precisely, he added, there has been an increase in cases of COVID-19 in minors “it has to do with the fact that children are not vaccinated in our country”.
That is why he said the importance of immunization for this age group is very clear, which began this Monday, January 24, for children between 5 and 11 years of age.
Cevallos recovers from COVID-19
At another time, Cevallos reported that he is recovering from a mild case of COVID-19. The minister mentioned that he did not have a fever and only paracetamol was administered.
He also reported that the Minister of Defense, Juan Carrasco, who is hospitalized for suffering from coronavirus in the intensive care unit of the Edgardo Rebagliati Hospital, has 40% of his lungs compromised by the infection and a mechanical respirator is being evaluated.
As indicated, Carrasco only had two doses of the vaccine.
