The director general of the National Center for Preventive Programs and Disease Control of Mexico, Ruy López Ridaura, reported this past Sunday at a press conference of the finding of a mutation in the state of Jalisco (Mexico), specifically, manifested in four cases.
The latest research focuses on determine if it is a new strain of the coronavirus, which would join those already detected in the United Kingdom or South Africa. López Ridaura himself confirmed that In the country there are already many variants of SARS-CoV-2, but what causes them to be classified as strains is if they have sufficient epidemiological weight, if they are more contagious.
“It is not that it is a Mexican variant, surely there are mutations of the viruses that circulate in the Mexican population, It is not that there is a Mexican variant, to describe it as such it is necessary to investigate its importance”, He explained, in statements collected by the local media Millennium.
Assessments to confirm severity
This past weekend Four different cases of coronavirus were found than normal, and at first it was thought that it could be the strain found in South Africa. Nevertheless, With the first analyzes, this option was ruled out, and the following hypothesis is that it may be an original strain from Mexico, which has already been named E484K.
This mutation is new, it is the only thing that has been confirmed. In other words, it had never been seen in Mexico before. One of the four cases, in addition, was in contact with a foreign person in Puerto Vallarta, while the rest claim not to have been in contact with anyone who has traveled abroad.
The Institute for Epidemiological Diagnosis and Reference (InDRE) has got down to work to be able to announce something with precision in the shortest period of time possible. Is in collaboration and contact with the laboratory of the University of Guadalajara.
“What must be defined is what characteristics it has, if this strain has something different and the priority is to find if they are more virulent, if the disease is more serious, it requires a serious study”Says Ridaura.
Current situation in Mexico
The latest data recorded in the Mexican country are about 462 new deaths from coronavirus, for a total of 158,563 since the beginning of the pandemic, and 7,030 new infections out of a total of 1,864,260.
López Ridaura also confirmed in the same press conference that there would be 104,963 active cases, while 1,412,383 patients have already recovered from the disease.