Cuban IPK ruled out Omicron variant in Traveler from South Africa – Escambray

The Pedro Curie Institute of Tropical Medicine, after testing the Cuban with positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR), reported that the patient carried a delta strain of pathogen causing the virus.

The Pedro Curie Institute of Tropical Medicine (IPK) in Cuba has ruled out a patient arriving in the municipality of Villa Clara in Placitas from South Africa, carrying an omicron version of the SARS-Cov-2 coronavirus, Granma newspaper reported today.

The entity dedicated to the investigation, prevention, control and eradication of infectious diseases, after conducting tests on Cuban with positive PCR, reported that the patient is a carrier of the delta strain of pathogen causing the virus.

The traveler, who arrived in the central province of Villa Clara on November 25, has been admitted to the Manuel Fajardo Military Hospital, without symptoms so far, local press reported to the Placitas authorities.

Villa Clara’s director of hygiene and epidemiology, Neil Reyes, described that he had remained asymptomatic and that all of his direct contacts had been isolated and had tested negative for the first PCR.

The doctor previously warned that only the results of the national reference laboratory can determine or not whether it is the new variant of the Corona virus called Ómicron, classified as a concern by the World Health Organization.

The new strain is spreading rapidly, which is why from Saturday the Caribbean island’s Ministry of Public Health decided to implement new measures to strengthen control over international travelers.

Among the decisions is that those coming from South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Malawi and Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), must turn in their full vaccination schedule upon arrival.

In addition, with a negative result of RT-PCR performed at most 72 hours before the flight, a sample for SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR will be taken and they will go to a mandatory seven-day quarantine in a hotel designated for this purpose, while the traveler bears Accommodation and transportation costs.

A new SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR sample will be taken on day 6, and if negative, it will be taken out of quarantine on day 7.

In the case of travelers from Belgium, Israel, Hong Kong, Egypt, Turkey and the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa (Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros and Ivory Coast), among others, the same procedures will apply as in the previous countries except for quarantine and RT-PCR On the sixth day.

BioCubaFarma’s head, Doctor Eduardo Martinez, confirmed through his Twitter account that they are carefully monitoring reports regarding the behavior of the new Ómicron variant.

We are already designing specific vaccines. The scientist said if necessary, we will develop it in a short time.