Coronavirus in Haiti: the epidemic ultimately less virulent than feared

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In Haiti, the coronavirus epidemic is not as virulent as what scientific projections feared. Officially 73 deaths have been recorded but the health authorities recognize that this assessment is lower than reality because only the cases previously tested are counted.

Publicity

With our correspondent in Port-au-Prince, Amélie Baron

After three months of the epidemic, Haitian scientists have announced that a peak has been reached in the country while calling for continued vigilance to avoid a new wave. 

Given the very small number of tests carried out, the Haitian health authorities know very well that the statistics they publish every day are not representative of the scale of the epidemic in the country. These data nevertheless allow them to attest to a decrease in the number of cases in recent days.

As evidenced by Patrick Dély, who heads the epidemiology department at the national laboratory, in Haiti the epidemic is not as virulent as feared . "  We think the virus, which is doing so much damage in other countries, is not behaving the same way in us. Now as to why, these are questions on which the epidemiological direction is conducting research to find answers, explains the scientist. But we observe that we don't have as many deaths or as many severe cases as we expected  . ” 

This supposedly reduced virulence does not prevent the authorities from renewing prevention messages to the population because no one can say how this new virus could evolve in Haiti or abroad.

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• Haiti
• Coronavirus
• Health and Medicine

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