The Ministry of Public Health advises the general population, health professionals and distributors of pharmaceutical products in particular that the treatment of patients infected with coronavirus currently does not rely on any specific scientifically demonstrated therapeutic protocol.

Similarly, no study conducted by the scientist has yet concluded on the efficacy of the drug chloroquine in combating coronavirus infection in humans. Also, the Ministry asks the population not to use chloroquine neither for coronavirus prevention nor for the usual flu symptoms.

The Ministry calls that chloroquine is a drug used in Haiti in the treatment of malaria and invites the population to a rational use of this drug to avoid the development of antimicrobial resistance.

The Ministry ensures that it continues to mobilize its efforts for an appropriate multisectoral response to any possible importation of the virus and invites the population to apply the hygiene measures recommended in the event of an influenza epidemic.

In addition, Marie Gréta Roy Clément, the Minister of Public Health affirms that the Ministry has identified hospitals in the 10 departments which "could" in the event of confirmed presence of contaminated people on the national territory, take charge of cases of Coronavirus.

There is not yet a quarantine zone in Haiti to isolate people suffering from COVID-19, the Ministry favors home quarantine, stressing that this measure could change depending on the future development of the situation. At the moment, there is no case of CIVID-19 in Haiti.

COVID-19 epidemic : Global report 29 February 2020 :

Saturday February 29, 2020, the number of people infected worldwide with the Coronavirus COVID-19 (laboratory confirmed cases) amounted to 85,406, up by 1,686 cases (+8.9%) compared to the previous day (1,549), https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30142-haiti-news-zapping.html ; 2,924 deaths (+ 1.9%) or 66 cases more than the day before (2,858). Average mortality rate 3.4%. 39,590 people healed, i.e. 2,953 people (-21%) less than the day before (3,739).

To date, there are 6,155 cases of confirmed infected people outside China (+ 25.7%), or 1,260 cases more than the previous day, in a total of 60 countries (+4 countries compared to the previous day).

83 deaths abroad since the start of the epidemic (December 2019), i.e. 17 more than the previous day: 34 in Iran, 17 in South Korea, 1 in Taiwan, 1 in the Philippines, 2 in Hong Kong, 5 in Japan, 2 in France and 21 in Italy.

Vigilance is required given that several countries which have people traveling to Haiti have confirmed cases of Coronavirus on their territory among others as of February 29: the USA (64 cases), France (57 cases), Germany ( 48 cases), Taiwan (39 cases), Spain (32 cases), Vietnam (16 cases), Canada 15 (including 1 case in Montreal), Mexico (2), Brazil (1)

HL/ HaitiLibre