Argentina reports its first case of Ómicron in a traveler from South Africa

Argentina reported the first case of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 in a traveler from South Africa, the Ministry of Health reported in a statement.

In an alert issued shortly before midnight on Sunday, the health ministry asked the population to be alert and ordered “to strengthen epidemiological surveillance and prevention measures throughout the territory.”

The case found corresponds to a 38-year-old man living in the province of San Luis who returned to Argentina on November 30.

The traveler has the complete vaccination schedule and a history of Covid-19 last March, the ministry said.

Prior to the trip, a PCR test yielded negative results, as was the one carried out when he arrived at the Ezeiza international airport, in Buenos Aires, from where he traveled to San Luis in a rental car with a driver to complete the isolation. required.

However, after learning that personnel with whom he was in contact in South Africa were diagnosed with positive covid and despite not presenting symptoms, he underwent a new test that confirmed his infection.

Genomic sequencing then confirmed the detection of the variant. Omicron.

Four other close contacts of the traveler have also been placed under preventive isolation, although none show symptoms and the tests carried out yielded negative results.

At least 40 countries, including Mexico, Brazil and Chile, have confirmed cases of the Omicron variant, highly contagious according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The Argentine Ministry of Health recommended complying with the anticovid vaccination scheme that reaches all people over three years of age in that country, while adults over 50 have already begun to receive a third booster application.

He also recommended wearing masks indoors and outdoors in proximity to other people who are not living together.

Argentina, with 45 million inhabitants, has registered 5.34 million cases and 116,646 deaths from covid since the beginning of the pandemic.

67.57% of the population has already applied two doses of the Covid vaccine.