Omicron: Cuba confirms the first case of the new variant of the coronavirus

Cuba reported on Wednesday the first case of the omicron variant of covid-19 in a medical collaborator who arrived on the island from Mozambique on November 27, reported the Ministry of Health (Minsap).

The man arrived in the country asymptomatic and moved to the western province of Pinar del Río, where he resides, but the next day he began to present “low-grade fever and sore throat,” for which he went to the hospital where he was tested for antigen. that tested positive, the portfolio noted.

It highlighted that that same day a PCR test was performed that was also positive and “the sample was sent to the Pedro Kourí Institute of Tropical Medicine (IPK, Havana) for sequencing.”

“Today (Wednesday) the sequencing of the positive sample concludes, confirming the OMICRON variant of SARS CoV2,” said the Ministry without giving details of the medical collaborator.

According to the Minsap, “as a result of the epidemiological study, 16 extra-domiciliary and two intra-domiciliary contacts (of the collaborator) were identified, which are asymptomatic and negative to the RT-PCR carried out”.

“Epidemiological surveillance on contacts, the community and the strengthening of international sanitary control measures is being maintained,” it said.

Cuba accumulates 963,347 infections and 8,311 deaths since the first cases of the coronavirus were registered in March 2020.

According to information from the Minsap, as of Tuesday a total of 9.2 million Cubans had completed their vaccination scheme on the island of 11.2 million inhabitants, with their own antigens.

Although vaccines developed and produced in Cuba have not yet been recognized by the WHO, the country managed to control and overcome the most critical moment of the pandemic registered between July and September.

Meanwhile, the booster vaccination began this week in four municipalities of Havana and will be extended in a staggered manner throughout the country, according to medical authorities.

At the beginning of September, the island began the immunization of minors between the ages of 2 and 18 with the Cuban vaccines Soberana O2 and Abdala, which allowed students to return to classrooms in November with the complete scheme, which in Cuba it is three doses.

On Tuesday, the Cuban regulator approved the emergency use of the Soberana Plus vaccine for children over two years of age convalescing from covid-19.