Mônica Bergamo: Sample from a patient suspected of omicron infection has a low viral load and may prevent confirmation of the variant in Brazil

The Covid-19 test of the Brazilian passenger suspected of having been infected with the omicron variant had a viral load considered to be low — which can make the sequencing of the virus difficult and prevent it from being known whether, in fact, Brazil is facing the first case. confirmed of infection by the new strain of the
coronavirus.

STONE

The sample arrived at Instituto Adolfo Lutz on Sunday (28). The sequencing result should be ready on the fourth (1) — but its result, if the difficulties are not overcome, can be undefined.

I ARRIVED

The passenger arrived in Brazil on Saturday (27), from a flight from South Africa, where the new variant was identified for the first time.

REPEAT

He had taken a PCR test 72 hours in advance, as required by law. The result had been negative. After disembarking, however, the Brazilian underwent a new test, still in the laboratory at Guarulhos airport — and confirmed that he was with Covid-19.

ALERT

On Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the new strain represents a very high risk for the planet.

ALERT 2

“Given the mutations that could confer the ability to evade an immune response, and give it an advantage in terms of transmissibility, the probability that the omicron will propagate around the world is high,” it said. So far, there has been no record of death associated with the variant.

ALERT 3

The WHO even classified the new strain as a “concern variant” because of the potential risk of being more transmissible than the previous ones. Even before this evaluation, the large number of mutations in the variant generated a great wave of attention in several countries around the world.

MOVEMENT

On December 6th and 7th, Coletivo Impermanente will present the performance “O que Meu Corpo Nu te Conta?”, directed by Marcelo Varzea. The presentation features 36 actors and features confessional self-fiction reports on topics such as homophobia, fatphobia, sexism, racism, compulsion, transphobia and motherhood. The movement direction of the performance is signed by Erica Rodrigues.

_{with MOSQUE LEG, VICTORIA AZEVEDO, BIANKA VIEIRA e MANOELLA SMITH}