The traveler in whom the omicron variant has been detected presents the complete vaccination schedule.
Argentina confirmed this Sunday the first case detected in the country of the omicron variant of covid-19, in a 38-year-old man, resident in the province of San Luis, who returned on November 30 from “a work event” in South Africa, official sources reported.
In a statement, the Ministry of Health gave details of the case and opted to strengthen medical surveillance and prevention measures, with the “epidemiological objective” of “containing and delaying the possible community transmission of new variants of concern”, as well as increasing vaccination coverage.
According to the text released today, the traveler in whom the omicron variant has been detected presents the complete vaccination scheme and history of covid-19 in March 2021, and a pcr test was performed prior to the return trip to Argentina -where he arrived making a stopover in the United States-, the result being the same negative.
Upon arrival in the South American country, an antigen test was carried out at the international airport in the Buenos Aires town of Ezeiza, which confirmed the negative result.
From there he went to his home in San Luis in a rental car with a driver, and since his arrival in the town “he has been in isolation,” according to the statement.
It was on December 2 when the man learned that people with whom he was in contact at the work event in South Africa -country where the first cases of the variant were registered- “were diagnosed as positive COVID-19 cases”, for which he consulted with the health system of his city for this situation, “despite being asymptomatic.”
New antigen tests and PCR were carried out and both were positive, after which, when a sample was studied, results were obtained with “deletions compatible with Omicron or Alpha variants”.
The Ministry added that the affected person has four close contacts, who are also completing isolation in another home, do not present symptoms and that so far they have tested negative for coronavirus, although all will be tested again at the end of the isolation.
Regarding the new omicron variant, the Argentine Government had already defined days ago that everyone who has been in Africa the last two weeks should isolate themselves and perform a PCR test to be discharged from isolation, while it was decided to suspend the direct air and sea transport with Africa.
This Sunday, Argentina reported 1,294 new cases of covid-19, with which the total number of positives rose since the beginning of the pandemic to 5,340,676, while deaths rose to 116,646, after three deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.
Argentina registered a daily record of infections on May 27, when 41,080 cases were reported, while the highest number of deaths in a single day was verified on June 22, with 792 deaths.
The percentage of bed occupancy in intensive care units for all types of pathologies is 35.1% nationwide and 40.1%, if only Buenos Aires and its periphery are considered. (I)
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