DF investigates Covid case of traveler coming from South Africa

The Health Department of the Federal District monitors a man who tested positive for Covid-19 after passing through South Africa — a country where the new variant of the coronavirus, the omicron, was identified for the first time.

It is still not possible to know if the case is an infection by this strain.

The man, aged between 40 and 49 years, has already received three doses of vaccine against Covid. He remains asymptomatic and has been in isolation at home since his arrival in the capital.

According to the secretariat, he landed in Guarulhos on November 27, with a later flight to Brasília. The flight he took in South Africa was the same as the other confirmed case of Covid-19 identified in São Paulo after that trip.

The study with a sample of a resident of Greater São Paulo has also not yet had a published result to find out whether it is an infection caused or not by omicrons.

Monitoring is being carried out by the Cievs-DF (Center for Strategic Information on Health Surveillance of the Federal District).

The traveler performed a test for Sars-CoV-2 on November 29 at the Central Public Health Laboratory of the Federal District, which showed a detectable result.

“The Lacen-DF has already started the analysis for the genetic sequencing of the sample, with the objective of verifying if it is the omicron variant. The deadline for completion of the exam is four days. The Cievs-DF remains monitoring the case,” he said in note.

So far there is no confirmed case of Covid-19 infection with the omicron variant in Brazil.

On Sunday (28), Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) disclosed that a Brazilian who passed through South Africa tested positive for Covid after disembarking at Guarulhos airport.

The passenger’s case was sent for sequencing at Instituto Adolfo Lutz. According to the State Health Department of São Paulo, he is in isolation at home.