São Paulo City Hall admits possibility of Delta variant community transmission risk

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The São Paulo Municipal Health Secretariat on Wednesday, July 14, reported that the epidemiological inquiry to locate the origin of infection of the first Delta variant case has not yet yielded a definitive conclusion.

As a result, there are indications that the city is experiencing community transmission of the new strain, initially detected in India.

“The epidemiological investigation was unable to identify the origin of the infection. Therefore, we must consider the possibility of community transmission of the Delta variant in the city of São Paulo,” reads the note issued by the municipal Health Secretariat.

Yesterday afternoon, Director Dimas Covas of the Butantan Institute, which was responsible for analyzing nose and pharynx samples collected from the wife, son and stepson of “patient zero”, said that these contacts had not tested positive for the virus.

The City Hall said that it forwards some 700 weekly samples positive for Covid-19 to Butantan and to the Institute of Tropical Medicine of the University of São Paulo (USP). So far, this has been the only positive case for the Delta in the city.

The first patient presented symptoms on June 19, but has now recovered. The epidemiological inquiry has exceeded the mark of 30 people investigated, previous City Hall reports said.

The City Hall note says that “no positive results were found from the analysis of samples taken from the family nucleus, workplaces and other close contacts of the case also investigated”.

Source: Valor

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