The 7th day PCR, a key step to delay the circulation of the Delta variant



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It’s common to hear travelers complain about the 2,500 pesos for the antigen test in Ezeiza, after doing a pre-flight PCR. While most of these swabs are negative, some people “positivize” afterwards, proof that the Covid-19 was incubated during the trip. In order to delay the circulation of the Delta variant, the realization of a third swab, also mandatory, is highlighted: PCR on the seventh day.

The control of this test being provincial, Bugle spoke with different jurisdictions to test the monitoring of this measure.

The idea was to corroborate whether those who go through the 7-day isolation and haven’t developed symptoms, end up skipping this crucial last step, and conversely, if those who don’t stick to the quarantine can ” derive »their good behavior by doing the PCR in time and form.

The conclusion cannot be drawn in other words: Obtaining this data was not an easy task.

At Ezeiza airport, travelers undergo an antigen test to detect Covid.  Photo Luciano Thieberger

At Ezeiza airport, travelers undergo an antigen test to detect Covid. Photo Luciano Thieberger

The seventh day levy for all travelers arriving from abroad is obligatory almost four months ago. It was defined in administrative decision 268/202 and in force since March 27.

At the end of June, the National Directorate of Migration reported that the 40% of new arrivals have violated quarantine One week. The increase in checks (and the restriction of arrivals to the country by decree) has significantly lowered this figure, which since mid-July has been around half.

Although the differences between the jurisdictions are large (in Buenos Aires, 17% of new arrivals did not quarantine; in CABA, 30%), from Migrations, they evaluated – in dialogue with this medium – that ” the same thing, 20% non-compliance is a lot”.

Regardless, nothing was said about the Seventh Day PCRs.

bone scan

According to data from the Ministry of the Interior, the country’s income between March 27 and July 18 was 153,808. More than 80% went to the Province of Buenos Aires (40%), the City of Buenos Aires (31%), Córdoba (5.32%) and Santa Fe (4.80%).

As said, the management of the PCR on the seventh day is provincial. Also, Bugle asked the nation’s health ministry for a national snapshot (how many swabs were taken, what diagnosis did they have …)REST). At the end of this note, these data were expected.

For the moment, a good summary of the panorama “Delta” offered him Juliet of Saint Felix, Secretary of International Cooperation and Regional Integration of Santa Fe: “At the controls, we observe a high rate of people What in the PCR that needs to be done on the seventh day of their arrival they tested positive”.

Swabs for the detection of Covid in the Plaza de Mayo.  AFP photo

Swabs for the detection of Covid in the Plaza de Mayo. AFP photo

For the official, “the danger is that the Delta variant reaches the province. The weekend (N. de la R .: from July 10) have been detected 15 cases nationally positive of the Delta variant. Of these, 5 were detected in Ezeiza and the other 10, on the seventh day. This means that the virus is circulating ”.

Although she reported that out of 10 post-trip isolates “only one does not comply,” the official did not specify how many PCRs on day 7 are actually done in Santa Fe.

Metropolitan area

Gabriel Battistella, Undersecretary of Primary, Ambulatory and Community Care of the City of Buenos Aires, shared with Bugle his perplexity by the confirmation of Migrations that 30% of the quarantines of the travelers of Buenos Aires are not met. “I don’t know how they get this data,” he said.

“People come to Ezeiza and get tested. If they are positive, they go to the hotel. If they are negative, they are automatically called and an email is sent explaining the procedure. The follow-up is therefore done by phone or via WhatsApp. In more than 90% we have a good correlation. People respond ”, he said, and clarified:“ But if on the third day we have no contact, a visit is made yes or yes.

As for the seventh day PCR, Battistella agreed to send more data to this medium. He clarified, for now, that the tour is assigned automatically on the third or fourth day of isolation and travelers’ positivity is low. “It’s him 0.8%“, He confirmed, without specifying the denominator behind the percentage.

In the Province of Buenos Aires, they recalled that travelers in their jurisdiction spend four days in hotels and three at home. The shift for PCR on the seventh day is not programmed automatically but the person “must test for free in one of the 400 points that there is in the Province ”.

In the first 15 days of July (they did not provide previous data) the total income was 22,284, of which 320 corresponded to confirmed cases of Covid (1.56% positivity).

Although in this case they claim to have recorded “20,483 cases with a collection date greater than 7 days since entering the country”, They did not give details on the instance of detection of Covid among these 320 travelers. Was it the Ezeiza swab or the seventh day?

Mendoza, Cordoba and Tucumán

While in the portfolio of Neuquén Santé, they did not send the requested data, to the Ministry of Health of Mendoza reported that PCR is scheduled automatically and is free, but did not provide data on swabs taken so far. They only reported that “people who broke quarantines hit 11%” since June 29.

At Cordoba, instead, they pointed out that “in the last 30 days there has been a 95% PCR test compliance to be unloaded. The remaining 5%, who did not attend their shift, deal with the visit of the brigade at home “.

They added that “in all cases where PCR has been performed, none have tested positive“And they pointed out that if that happened, the sample would be sent for genomic sequencing to the Malbrán Institute.

Finally, Bugle I’m speaking with Rossana Chahla, Minister of Health of Tucuman, who explained that the province carries out epidemiological surveillance “intensified at the borders, both by land and by air”.

From March 1 to July 13, they entered from abroad “1.366 people, mainly from the United States (46%), Spain (11%) and Mexico (8%) ”. At the end of this memo, “1,297 of these people had completed the 10 days of isolation. From these, 1,189 (91.6%) underwent PCR”.

The result, however small it may seem, justifies the meaning of these lines. Is it, according to the Minister, “33 people, or 2.7% swabs on the seventh day they tested positive for Covid“.

Seized “on time”, they should have extend solitary confinement for an additional 14 days.

Contributors: Roxana Badaloni and Lucas Aranda.

MG

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