Health Minister Hernando Cevallos on Thursday reported that samples have already been collected of the people who had met with the
Peruvian citizen that tested positive for the new variant of COVID-19, Omicron, upon his arrival in Japan —the country where he resides.
"This is a citizen who came from Japan to Peru on October 27. He arrived and traveled to Piura, where he got married at an event attended by 14 people," Cevallos said in remarks to RPP radio and TV station.
The same person —whose name is withheld— then returned to Lima to travel back on November 24 to the Asian country where he arrived on November 27 —three days later.
During this period, he made a stopover in Brazil —specifically in Sao Paulo— for 72 hours and then continued his trip to Qatar before landing in Japan.
According to the minister, there are two possibilities: Either that person contracted the virus in Peru or he could have been infected in Brazil where several Omicron cases have already been reported, as he stayed there for 72 hours.
Maskless guests
The high-ranking official said the first hypothesis cannot be ruled out because Health Ministry (Minsa) experts have been able to see photos of the wedding day when "no one was either wearing a facemask or maintaining social distancing."
However, the Cabinet member deemed it unlikely that the Peruvian citizen had brought the COVID-19 variant to the national territory on his trip to Peru.
The Cabinet member noted that an incubation period lasts 14 days. Thus, it is very unlikely that the man brought this variant to Peru.
"There are only two possibilities: either the variant was already here or he somehow became infected in Brazil, where there is Omicron," Cevallos indicated.
Stable condition
The minister also explained that the people who had been in contact with the infected citizen, his relatives, and those who attended his wedding ceremony in Piura have already been located.
All of them have been tested to rule out the presence of COVID-19 or —namely— the Omicrom variant.
"We have found that the wife has symptoms, some fever and sore throat. She is in Peru, her sample was taken for genomic sequencing, and she is isolated," Cevallos indicated.
Regarding the Peruvian citizen, the minister stated that he "has had some symptoms, but his general condition is good."
(END) KGR/MVB
Published: 12/2/2021