Africa-Press – Mozambique. The National Health Institute Dr Ricardo Jorge (INSA) identified 13 cases of Omicron, the new variant of coronavirus, in Portugal it said on Monday.
In a joint statement, the INSA and the health authority (DGS) said that preliminary tests carried out at INSA “strongly suggest that all 13 cases associated with the players of Belenenses football team are related to the Ómicron variant”.
The health authorities also explain that INSA, in the analysis of cases of infection of Belenenses players, through its Department of Infectious Diseases, analysed on Sunday a batch of 13 positive samples associated with cases of infection of Belenenses players, given that one of the positive cases had a recent trip to South Africa.
“In order to ensure the break of transmission chains and following the precautionary principle in Public Health, pending further information regarding transmission, impact and vaccine effectiveness against the Omicron variant, the Health Authorities determined the prophylactic isolation of contacts of the infection cases associated with this outbreak, regardless of vaccination status and level of exposure,” the note said.
These contacts – it adds – “remain isolated and will undergo regular testing, as early as possible, at day 5 and day 10”.
INSA also analysed samples from 218 passengers on a flight from Maputo, which landed on 27 November at Lisbon airport.
As for this flight, only two positives were detected: one is associated with the Delta variant and the other did not allow for correct identification.
The Ricardo Jorge Institute has already begun genome sequencing for the final confirmation of these cases. However, the note added, “the predictive value of the tests already carried out is very high”.
This new genetic variant of the coronavirus initially identified in South Africa and in some Southern African countries has also been identified in recent days in some European countries.
“However, there is still no scientific data that supports its greater transmissibility or its ability to reduce the effectiveness of current vaccines,” said health authorities, who have strengthened epidemiological surveillance, applying control measures, with the prophylactic isolation of contacts of cases of infection by the Omicron variant or with a history of travel to southern Africa in the previous 14 days, regardless of vaccination status, according to the precautionary principle in public health.
INSA will also continue to monitor the genetic variants of the new coronavirus continuously through the analysis of nationally representative samples, as well as the analysis of suspected cases that are identified by the health authorities or collaborating laboratories,” the statement added..
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