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Mild symptoms of Ômicron make it difficult to identify the strain, says virologist

In an interview with CNN Radio, the virologist and researcher at Fiocruz Amazônia, Felipe Naveca evaluated that the cases identified so far of the Ômicron variant are of mild symptoms and this could hinder the detection of the new strain.

So far 12 cases have been identified in the country. The virologist that possibly other Ômicron infections may exist. “The confirmed ones so far are from people with mild symptoms, more difficult to be detected, the people themselves do not identify that they are sick.”

According to Naveca, there is still a “complete domain” of the Delta variant in Brazil.

Even with initial studies pointing to a higher transmissibility with lower lethality of the Ômicron, the researcher says that it still takes “a few more weeks to be sure what is happening.”

According to him, in South Africa and the United Kingdom, where the population infected with the variant is younger and without the complete vaccination schedule, there was a rapid increase in the number of cases. “But the data, so far, are incipient”, he pointed out.

Felipe Naveca sees vaccination against Covid-19 advanced in Brazil, but said he was worried about “pockets of low vaccination coverage”: “As in the interior of the Amazon, while in Manaus it is advanced, in the interior this is not what is happening, these pockets will allow the virus to circulate and, while it circulates, it evolves, you have to be careful.”

*Bel Campos production

Reference: CNN Brasil

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