Study: Omicron accounts for over 30% of Covid cases in Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The study, conducted in 16 states during most of December, was led by ITpS (All for Health Institute) in partnership with Dasa and DB Molecular laboratories.

The research included the analysis of more than 30,000 special RT-PCR tests performed in the two laboratory networks between December 1 and 25. A total of 640 were found to be positive for Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. Of these, 203 (31.7%) were infections caused by the new variant.

According to ITpS, the strain was found in 8 Brazilian states: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso, Bahia, Goiás, Santa Catarina, and Tocantins.

The ITpS further said in a press release that Ministry of Health data show that there are currently 74 confirmed Omicron cases in the country. Another 116 are under investigation.

The Omicron variant was first sequenced in South Africa in November this year. Preliminary data indicate that it is more transmissible than other variants, such as the Delta, although it does not lead to severe conditions in many of those infected.

On Wednesday, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the “tsunami” created by the concurrent circulation of the Delta and Omicron variants of Covid is bringing “health systems to the brink of collapse.”

A report from the organization also released Wednesday indicated a 39% increase in Covid cases across the Americas compared to last week. Most of them were reported in the United States, Argentina, and Canada.

As for the number of deaths, there was a 7% increase in the continent when compared to the week before. In this case, Brazil ranks second among the countries with the highest number of deaths in America – in total there were 997 new deaths in the country, according to the organization.

No detailed information was provided on the contribution of the Omicron variant to these deaths.