The new variant of COVID-19 discovered in the United Kingdom, which is already in Peru, does not affect the work carried out with the molecular diagnostic tests and is susceptible to the vaccines that are being developed around the world,
Health Minister Pilar Mazzetti reported on Friday.
"The presence of the mutation does not affect the vaccines that are being developed and does not affect molecular tests either," she said at a press conference held at the
Health Ministry (Minsa) headquarters.
The Cabinet member explained that the current SARS-CoV-2 mutation does not affect the capabilities of the different tests currently being used to detect the virus.
"This could happen, but it is not the case at the moment. PCR and antigenic tests can detect a mutated or non-mutated virus. A genetic sequencing test is carried out to find out whether or not the detected virus is a mutation," the minister added.
"As far as is known, there has been no impact on the possibility of more deaths, but further infections. Instead of infecting 3 to 4 people, it (the UK variant) can infect 6 to 7," she stated.
Dr. Mazzetti commented that having detected the new variant in Peru does not imply returning to stricter quarantine measures or cancelling the economic reactivation.
(END) KGR/RRC/RMB/MVB
Published: 1/8/2021