5% Panama's COVID-19 cases are health workers
At least 3,299 health workers in Panama have contracted COVID-19, most of them employed in administrative and nursing areas, according to official data collected in a report by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) .
The number of 3,299 infected health workers represents 5% of the total confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country as of August 8, the report from PAHO's Panama office indicated.
In the document, health workers are defined as those who work in administrative and support areas, in the care of patients in health and laboratory facilities, or who perform social-health tasks, such as basic sanitation, in the rapid response teams or community traceability, among others.
The report of the international organization specifies that 38.5% of those affected by the disease caused by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 are administrative and support personnel, followed by nursing personnel with 24.5%.
The National Association of Nurses of Panama (Anep) reported that three of these professionals have died from COVID-19, the most recent this Friday.
23.3% of those infected are health professionals who work in laboratory, pharmacy, radiology and nutrition services, and 13.8% are medical personnel, including internists and dentists, the PAHO report indicated.
According to data from the local press, at least a dozen doctors have died affected by the disease in Panama, which until this Thursday accumulated 83,855 confirmed infections and 1,844 deaths.
Most of the affected health workers are women (2,093), and the mean age of the total cases is 49 years.
65.5% of health workers confirmed with COVID-19 are from the Social Security Fund (CSS), the institution that welcomes 56% of severe and critical patients, while 31.3% are from facilities of the Ministry of Health (Minsa), where 39% of these are.
1.5% of health workers infected with COVID-19 belong to private hospitals, which care for 6% of the severely and critically ill.
0.4% of the affected personnel work at the Gorgas Memorial Institute, and 0.2% work in the health area of the Government and Security ministries.
In the document, health workers are defined as those who work in administrative and support areas, in the care of patients in health and laboratory facilities, or who perform social-health tasks, such as basic sanitation, in the rapid response teams or community traceability, among others.
The report of the international organization specifies that 38.5% of those affected by the disease caused by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 are administrative and support personnel, followed by nursing personnel with 24.5%.
The National Association of Nurses of Panama (Anep) reported that three of these professionals have died from COVID-19, the most recent this Friday.
23.3% of those infected are health professionals who work in laboratory, pharmacy, radiology and nutrition services, and 13.8% are medical personnel, including internists and dentists, the PAHO report indicated.
According to data from the local press, at least a dozen doctors have died affected by the disease in Panama, which until this Thursday accumulated 83,855 confirmed infections and 1,844 deaths.
Most of the affected health workers are women (2,093), and the mean age of the total cases is 49 years.
65.5% of health workers confirmed with COVID-19 are from the Social Security Fund (CSS), the institution that welcomes 56% of severe and critical patients, while 31.3% are from facilities of the Ministry of Health (Minsa), where 39% of these are.
1.5% of health workers infected with COVID-19 belong to private hospitals, which care for 6% of the severely and critically ill.
0.4% of the affected personnel work at the Gorgas Memorial Institute, and 0.2% work in the health area of the Government and Security ministries.