Africa-Press – Mozambique. After receiving no results on the 300 samples to a laboratory in South Africa, Mozambique is today [June 29] sending samples from individuals suspected of being infected with the Delta variant to Germany and Sweden.
The health sector says it needs to know which variants are circulating in the country, and still has no prognosis for the arrival of test results from neighbouring South Africa.
“There are uncertainties regarding the response time, because all laboratories are overloaded with the situation in their countries. However, this cannot limit us,” Sérgio Chicumbe, Director of Surveys at the National Institute of Health, said.
Chicumbe said it was “important to know what types of variants are circulating in our country, but, above all, it is crucial that people know that there is an increase in the number of cases and transmission”.
Asked about the new variant and its symptoms and treatment, Chicuymbe said that information was scarce, but that, regardless of the type of virus, adherence to current measures was essential.
“The prevention measures for any variant are the same, and do not depend on the variant. It is not known for sure whether the Delta variant causes a more serious illness; what is known is that it is 30 to 60% more transmissible,” he explained.
During the usual MISAU press conference, Deputy National Director of Public Health Benigna Matsinhe said that the Delta variant was not much different from the others, except that it “easily leads to death, so there is a need for if us to continue to comply with Covid-19 containment measures”. “We are warning people not to make the same mistakes as in the first quarter of this year, under penalty of aggravating the epidemiological situation in the country, as we have already begun to see in neighbouring countries,” she concluded.
Mozambique continues to register a considerable acceleration in new contaminations, especially in Maputo [city] and the provinces of Sofala and Tete.
By
Inalcide Uamusse
