Panama detects its first contagion with the omicron variant, authorities will reinforce measures

The health authorities reported this Monday the first case of the omicron variant of covid-19 in Panama, detected in a citizen residing in the country and who was recently in south africa, and asked the population to redouble biosecurity measures and get vaccinated.

The man of 50 years old and who works in a mining project under development, arrived in Panama on December 8 with a recent trip to South Africa for work reasons, according to official information.

Sucre explained that the man infected with omicron had when he arrived in Panama the pattern of full vaccination, in addition to a negative PCR test, and assured that this person was always kept isolated and without any contact with anyone from the mining project.

There are six suspicious people Having been in contact with the infected they are kept in quarantine.

Is the new omicron variant really so dangerous?

The Minister of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre, said that it has not been confirmed that the omicron variant is circulating at the community level in Panama, although he did not rule it out, for which he exhorted the population to continue with the recommended biosecurity measures.

“We must act as if there were community cases and reinforce our own biosecurity measures,” remarked the minister, clarifying that a single imported case does not yet lead to to take restrictive mobility measures in the country.

More countries put restrictions on the rapid expansion of the omicron variant of the coronavirus

The Ministry of Health (Minsa) said in a statement that it is evaluating the possibility of reducing the time of the booster dose, which is being applied in Panama 6 months after the second injection.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have highlighted that current vaccines continue to be effective in preventing the development of serious disease caused by the new coronavirus and death, indicated the Minsa, noting that the omicron variant has been detected in more than 80 countries in the world, among them Costa Rica, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador and Chile.

COVID-19: Pfizer’s vaccine is ‘effective’ against the omicron variant after three doses, says laboratory

The 90,2 % of the target population for covid vaccination in Panama, that is, people 12 years of age or older, have received a dose and the 80.9% two doses, according to official data, according to which at least 246,045 booster doses have been administered. (I)