Alert in Brazil: First cases of the Covid-19 Indian variant found in the country

Brazil confirmed this Thursday the first cases of coronavirus covid-19 in the country with the Indian variant, a strain that was identified in several crew members of a ship from South Africa, which had been isolated since last weekend in the port of Sao Luis, capital of the northeastern state of Maranhao.

The indian variant, scientifically known as B.1.617 and classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a “global concern”, it was identified in six of the 24 crew members of the boat, according to the first results of tests carried out by health authorities.

According to statements by the regional Health Secretary, Carlos Lula, at a press conference, one of the infected crewmembers remains in a private hospital in Sao Luis, with stable health conditions.

Another 14 crew members with covid-19 are still in the boat – two of them with mild symptoms and 12 more asymptomatic – and another 9 were negative in the tests.

Cases of infections with indian variant may be greater, since according to the official said about a hundred people had contact with the crew that tested positive.

Lula pointed out that the corresponding tests will be carried out on all of them, who will be monitored and, if necessary, isolated to prevent the spread of the variant.

The barco Zhi Shandong that came from South Africa and was chartered by mining giant Vale to deliver iron ore in Sao Luis.

The boat remains anchored off the coast of Sao Luis Y all crew members are isolated and accompanied by health professionals, according to the secretary.

Alerts about a possible arrival of the variant india The country began last Saturday when a 54-year-old man, of Indian nationality, was admitted to a hospital in Sao Luis with symptoms of covid-19.

The case was registered just a few hours after Brazil banned foreign passengers from India from entering the country, a country that has registered successive records of deaths and coronavirus infections for several days.

With more than 441,000 deaths and 15.8 million infections, Brazil is one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic.