COVID-19 News: Bolivia Grapples with COVID-19 Outbreak And Reports JN.1 Subvariant Case In Santa Cruz
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Jan 03, 2024 11 months, 2 weeks, 6 days, 6 hours, 3 minutes ago
COVID-19 News: In a press conference on Tuesday, Bolivia's Ministry of Health disclosed that the country is currently experiencing a significant "outbreak" of COVID-19, with the detection of a case involving the JN.1 subvariant in the city of Santa Cruz.
COVID-19 Infections Surging In Bolivia. Image Credit: Getty
Minister of Health and Sports, María Renée Castro, emphasized that this outbreak began in late last year and early this year, and authorities anticipate a decline in February. However, she warned of another potential outbreak in mid-year, coinciding with the country's lower temperatures, emphasizing the need for continued adherence to biosecurity measures such as frequent handwashing and COVID-19 vaccination.
Minister Castro urged the public to reinforce biosecurity measures, citing the predictable dynamics of the virus in different seasons. She told various COVID-19 News outlets, "We once again call on people to strengthen biosecurity measures, as we are familiar with the virus's dynamics and how it behaves at different times."
JN.1 Variant Identified
Addressing the current situation, Minister Castro confirmed the identification of a single case involving the JN.1 subvariant through genomic surveillance. The patient, a 39-year-old woman, was located in the eastern region of Santa Cruz.
https://www.minsalud.gob.bo/7948-gobierno-mantiene-sostenida-vigilancia-genomica-para-detectar-oportunamente-nuevas-variantes-de-la-covid-19
The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the JN.1 subvariant as a variant of interest.
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/breaking-covid-19-news-who-declares-sars-cov-2-jn-1-strain-as-variant-of-interests-and-admits-that-it-is-more-transmissible
During epidemiological week 52, there was a notable increase in cases, with 1,086 additional COVID-19 cases reported in Bolivia compared to week 51, representing a staggering 128% surge. The total number of COVID-19 positive cases for the week reached 1,933. Among the affected regions, Santa Cruz recorded the highest number of infections with 888 cases, followed by Cochabamba with 538, and La Paz with 280.
https://www.minsalud.gob.bo/7947-salud-convoca-a-la-vacunacion-ante-aumento-de-casos-por-brote-de-covid-19-en-el-pais
Hospitals across Bolivia are beginning to see a rise in COVID-19 admissions and outpatient clinics are seeing long daily queues of sick individuals.
Local
;>COVID-19 News coverages are also validating that COVID-19 cases are rising across the country.
https://albertonews.com/coronavirus/bolivia-tiene-un-brote-de-casos-de-covid-19-y-registra-uno-de-la-subvariante-jn-1/
Minister Castro reported one death in Santa Cruz during the last epidemiological week, involving a 54-year-old individual with an underlying health condition. She emphasized that this rise in cases is considered a "normal behavior" and reassured the public that authorities are closely monitoring the situation, clarifying that it is not indicative of a new "wave" of infections.
Since the commencement of vaccination in 2021 for individuals aged five and above, Bolivia has administered over 16 million doses. Minister Castro highlighted that the recent cases predominantly affected individuals between 20 and 39 years old and reiterated the importance of COVID-19 vaccination.
Last week, the Ministry of Health reiterated the ongoing epidemiological alert for COVID-19, which was initially issued in August of the previous year when the national health emergency declaration was lifted.
Bolivia has confronted six waves of the COVID-19 pandemic since the first case was reported in March 2020, reflecting the ongoing challenges in managing and containing the virus. The evolving situation underscores the critical importance of vaccination, continued adherence to preventive measures, and vigilant monitoring of emerging variants to curb the spread of the virus within the population.
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