Guatemala: New COVID-19 Variants Circulating
July, 26, 2024
July 26, 2024 Hour: 6:06 pm
The agency said it was important to resume the use of masks in people with respiratory symptoms or chronic illnesses, as well as covering the mouth and nose with the inside of the arm or with a handkerchief when coughing.
New variants of Covid-19 are circulating in Guatemala today, the Ministry of Health and Social Assistance (Mspas) warned in response to an increase in cases since the beginning of June.
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The health ministry referred to a recent report from the National Laboratory management that confirmed for the first time the KP strains and their sub-lineages KP 1.1, KP 1.1.3, KP.2, KP2.2, KP2.3, KP.3.2.3.
The last four, he said, were declared by the World Health Organization as variants under monitoring since 3 May and LB.1, LB.2 and LB.1.8 on 28 June.
Mspas said the study analyzed 197 samples from 31 May to 18 July 2024 and revealed the predominant presence of KP and its sub-lineages, as well as JN.1.
“No change in the clinical presentation of the disease has been reported, a mild clinical picture is still observed, as in previous variants,” it stressed.
The agency said it was important to resume the use of masks in people with respiratory symptoms or chronic illnesses, as well as covering the mouth and nose with the inside of the arm or with a handkerchief when coughing.
It also stressed in the text, to maintain a distance of at least one meter between people in closed environments and natural ventilation.
Finally, the health ministry urged the public to report any symptoms of the disease to the nearest health service.
This week, the Guatemalan Social Security Institute set up four centers for the diagnosis of Covid-19 in the capital.
From the 1st to the 21st of this month, Mspas confirmed two 263 new cases, bringing the positivity rate to 12.1 per cent.
According to reports, the most affected municipalities are Guatemala, Mixco, Quetzaltenango, Villa Nueva and San Miguel Petapa.
This Central American territory has registered 20,302 deaths due to Covid-19 since the government confirmed the first case here a little over four years ago.
Data from the Ministry of Health show that 1,296,170 people have been infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease, while there are an estimated 2,22 active positives.
However, the country has just over 52 percent of its population vaccinated against Covid-19 with one dose, while 41.5 percent have two doses (7.1 million out of a total population of 17.11 million).
A few days ago, local media reported that the health ministry stopped applying a Moderna immunizer against the disease when the last of the 103,000 doses received in December 2023 expired on 31 May.
They reported only the injection of 82,000 and the expiry of the rest, while headlines on social networks reported that in neighboring Mexico the positivity was higher than last year, with hospitals saturated.
Autor: OSG
Fuente: DW-The Star
