Researchers at the Institute of Tropical Medicine & Global Health of the Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE) say that the United Kingdom and Brazil variants of Covid-19 are circulating in the Dominican Republic, as reported in Listin Diario. Dr. Robert Paulino Ramirez, director of the Santo Domingo city research center, says the UK variant was identified in November 2020 in Greater Santo Domingo. He said the South African variant has not been identified in samples studied at the center. He says the results of the research are sent to the Ministry of Public Health
Dr. Paulino Ramirez says the presence of the variants could explain the high mortality of patients that the country has been reporting in recent months, and the increase in spread in December and mid-January of this year.
He said it is urgent that there be more surveillance and control in the entry of visitors. He recommends arrivals be tested.
He understands that while the vaccination effort is moving forward, the same preventive measures be maintained, and even reinforced, because the more transmission, the more mutations may appear.
He said Unibe researchers are concerned about the New York variant’s entry due to the many Dominicans who have traveled to the country for the Christmas and New Year festivities.
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Listin Diario
9 March 2021