Belem records covid-19 delta variant status and issues alert – 10/23/2021

The Ministry of Health in Belem has identified the circulation of the delta variant AY-33 in the capital of Para and issued an alert to hospitals to immediately contact covid-19 cases from other states or countries, as well as recommending that safety protocols be maintained for the census. The subvariable is worrisome as it may not be detected by rapid tests and RT-qPCR protocols.

The Secretariat reported, in a note, that the discovery was made by sequencing 116 samples of SARS-CoV-2 virus obtained from patients in Belem. And in the analysis, the AY.33 delta sample was detected. But the agency did not provide further details about the case, nor information about the patient, his nationality or origin.

The department emphasized in its social networks that anyone showing symptoms compatible with COVID-19 should be advised to maintain social isolation for 14 days.

Notification alert

The capital of Pará is experiencing stabilization in the number of cases of the disease. According to the latest assessment, released yesterday, no clinical bed or intensive care unit is occupied with patients with the virus. In the past seven days, there have been 21 cases of the disease. The number of accumulated cases since the beginning of the epidemic reached 106,635.

Even with stability, the Secretariat reported that the reporting units take care of suspected cases, as well as other complaints related to mandatory notification, and promptly notify suspected and confirmed cases from other Brazilian countries or states so that the monitoring division can adopt control measures.

The agency also strengthened the guidelines for residents to follow prevention and control measures, such as home isolation of the suspected person or in the period of transmission of the disease, frequent hand washing with soap and water or alcohol gel, in addition to the mandatory use of a mask and maintaining social distance.

Balance

The Ministry of Health in Belem has also released a balance of analyzes of COVID-19 cases conducted in the past three months. In July and August, 1,612 cases were reported in Belem. Seventy-two (4%) samples of asymptomatic patients were sent positive RT-qPCR for sequencing, resulting in 84.7% of those induced by the gamma variant, while those with delta variable accounted for 9.7%. Beta and zeta variants were also detected, each with a ratio of 2.8%.

In September, there were 332 cases of coronavirus. Of the 24 (7%) patients who developed symptoms, half had the delta variant and the rest had gamma rays.

In the first 20 days of October, 152 cases were reported. Twenty (13%) genetic samples revealed an inversion, with the delta variant predominating, accounting for 75% of cases, while gamma was identified in 25% of the disease-positive cases.