Live
Audio Only
The P.2 variant was identified in five samples taken from patients in the Artigas, Rivera, and Rocha departments.
Uruguay's Pasteur Institute biologist Lucia Spangenberg on Thursday confirmed the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 strain "P.2".
RELATED:
The researchers analyzed samples from eleven COVID-19 positive patients, five of whom were identified with the P.2 variant.
The strain has more presence in Brazil's State Rio Grande do Sul that borders the Artigas, Rivera, and Rocha departments where the survey was conducted.
Uruguayan health authorities do not consider that the P.2 variant implies a greater health risk, even though it is associated with the first COVID-19 reinfection in Brazil.
Evolution of number of cases for Uruguay, with a total confirmed of 42,667 pic.twitter.com/8cJCoRdTo3
— COVIDBot (@COVID19_bot) February 4, 2021
A genomic sequencing joint committee was established to carry out epidemiological surveillance "in real-time" to monitor possible mutations.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) warned that the SARS-CoV-2 virus' strains from the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Brazil were present already in 20 Latin American countries.
On Jan. 23, Uruguay's President Luis Lacalle Pou announced the purchase of almost 3.8 million COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Sinovac laboratories in order to launch an inoculation campaign in March.
#COVID19 | British Prime Minister Boris Johnson claims that the new strain is more deadly. pic.twitter.com/a6kjncajV8
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) January 23, 2021
Newsletter
