They detect the two new variants of Manaus and the United Kingdom at 14 Cordoba

The provincial health ministry has detected the two new variants of Sars-Cov-2 in 14 people in Cordoba. Of these, three are travelers from Mexico who, on their return, were washed. And through genetic sequencing analysis, it was discovered that they had been infected with the so-called “British strain”. Among the others, one person returned from Switzerland, made a stopover in São Paulo and, upon arrival in Cordoba, it was detected that he was infected with the “Manaus variant”. 10 people in his core family were also infected with the same strain. The information was confirmed by Miguel Díaz, director of the Rawson hospital.

Díaz reported that all travelers were detected thanks to the active surveillance carried out by the epidemiology of the province and the central laboratory.

Regarding those who returned from Mexico with the “UK variant”, Díaz explained that two of them were interned last week in Rawson. First, to have risk factors. And another, “to see how the disease behaves, because there are communications which report that this variant would be more serious”. However, both patients had moderate pneumonia and were discharged, progressing well.

There is a third person, from the same family nucleus, who has been admitted to a private clinic.

“When travelers enter the territory of Cordoba, Migrations warns and epidemiological surveillance is carried out there”, reported the director of Rawson.

People who were detected with the so-called “Manaus variant” were also discovered by a similar mechanism. Díaz reported that the first patient detected was a traveler who was in Switzerland and made a stopover in São Paulo. “Since it came from Brazil, the sequencing is done and it is detected that it is the Manaus strain.”

By studying close contacts, a viral infection with the same strain is detected in 10 other people around them. With this, the number of infected with the Manaus strain rose to 11.

“In Cordoba, there is no community circulation of the new variants. This has not yet been proven, ”said Díaz, who underlined the task of the epidemiology zone of Cordoba, as well as of the central laboratory of the province.

Travel alert

Juan Pablo Caeiro, head of infectious diseases at the private hospital, said: “It is good to know the variants that are emerging. In general, it is not recommended to call them by the starting point so as not to discriminate against this place. The denomination is confusing anyway. The so-called manaus strain is the P.1 20J / 501Y.V3 line. The numbers are very complex. “

“The important thing is that the Manaus is contagious in the past infected with other strains. And the Englishman is much more contagious and deadly than the previous one,” he added.

The infectologist indicated that “many effective vaccines are needed to prevent the emergence of new strains and that all travelers from places with variants must isolate themselves on their return so as not to infect here”. For example, tourists who were in the United States, Great Britain, Brazil and South Africa.

The diagnostic method is called “genetic sequencing”. “We must be on constant alert,” he concluded.