Ómicron: The UdeG analyzes at least three other cases of the new strain of COVID

Yesterday, Monday, the Governor of Jalisco confirmed that at least 16 positive cases of omicron have already been confirmed in the State, the new variant of COVID-19 detected for the first time in Mexico on December 3.

All the contagions, he said, were outpatients and did not require hospitalization as they did not present serious symptoms. Of the 16 cases, 14 were confirmed by the State Public Health Laboratory and two by the private health sector and sent to INDRE for sequencing.

But nevertheless, These might not be the only cases of the new variant in the StateAccording to Jesús Mora, the doctor in charge of the call center and the sample-taking module of the University Center for Social Sciences and Humanities (CUCS) of the University of Guadalajara (UdeG), there are at least three other suspected cases under study by part of the health personnel of this house of studies that administers tests of detection of the virus.

“So far we only have three suspected cases, but they are just under study. Confirmatory tests are being carried out to sequence the virus, to be able to discern whether or not it is the omicron variant, “he said.

Despite the imminent arrival of the virus in Jalisco, State authorities did not determine new restrictions or changes to the capacity already established, but only a call was made to reinforce sanitary measures for the prevention of infections. It will be next January 14 when the State Board of Health meets again to analyze how the virus develops in order to analyze possible modifications.

Without traveling or receiving visits from abroad, Iliana is infected with omicron

Last Tuesday, Iliana Amezcua began with “cold” symptoms, and she thought it was something common for the season; but nevertheless, the following morning the complaints had already worsened.

“I had a lot of headache, my eyes hurt a lot, I even felt sick to my stomach, fever, my body felt very bad, I didn’t even feel like eating”, Iliana said.

It was then that he decided to take a COVID test at an early hour in one of the state laboratories endorsed by the Institute for Epidemiological Diagnosis and Reference (InDRE), obtaining as a result a positive case for the virus.

However, it was not just any case; in the afternoon the laboratory contacted her to tell her that it was a case of omicron, the most recent variant of the coronavirus that was detected for the first time in Mexico on December 3.

“In the result it did not say, but they marked me and said ‘hey we want to warn you that the variant is omicron so that take the respective isolation measures because it is highly contagious, more than the other variants”, Iliana said.

So far, she does not know how she was infected with the new variant because, she pointed out, she did not travel or receive visits from any other part of the State or the Country, in addition to the fact that, so far, her relatives have given negative to the tests that they already were applied, plus they have no symptoms.

“It is what seems incomprehensible to me. I don’t have much need to go out because I do home office, those days when I think I was infected it was because I went to the supermarket with my face mask; I went to a restaurant, but I didn’t stay there for long and there was very good ventilation, and I went to put gas, where neither the worker nor I wore face masks. I am what I want to think, that I was infected while I went to eat or received some service, “Iliana concluded regarding her case.

What is omicron?

On November 26 of last year, the World Health Organization (WHO), following the advice of the Technical Advisory Group on the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 classified omicron, the new variant of this virus, as “of concern.”

The foregoing, based on the evidence presented to the Technical Advisory Group, which indicates that it presents mutations that affect the characteristics of the virus, for example, that it spreads more easily than, for example, the Delta variant, and that it has a greater possibility of infecting to people already vaccinated and those who have already become ill before COVID-19.

To avoid being infected with this new variant, people should reinforce the already known sanitary measures, such as the correct use of face masks, antibacterial gel, and frequent hand washing, in addition to avoiding meetings and crowded places.

JM

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