After scientists of the Ponce Health Sciences University identified the variant of the for the first time on the island COVID-19 initially discovered in the UK, the president of the Scientific Coalition of Puerto Rico, Daniel Colon Ramos, warned of the possibility of the country facing “two parallel pandemics”.
Colón Ramos stressed that, in all likelihood, this strain of SARS-CoV-2, known as B.1.1.7.has been spreading in Puerto Rico for weeks or months, although it is currently impossible to estimate its prevalence compared to the “original” strain of the virus.
“In Portugal they had a drop in the number of cases, as we see now in Puerto Rico, which coincided with Christmas. The president of Portugal at the time rightly felt that people had suffered enough and wanted to give them a breath of fresh air for people to celebrate, so he relaxed for a week. Today, the Portuguese hospital system is on the sidelines of collapse, because unfortunately that decision coincided with the arrival of the English strain and another strain from Brazil, which is also highly contagious, ”explains the neurocellular science professor at Yale University.
“What they say is they saw a decline in the original species. It was as if they had two pandemics, one with the original kind and one with the new kind. With the new species they increased dramatically. The graph (of contamination) is impressive, as if it were a rocket taking off ”, Colón Ramos illustrated.
To avoid a scenario similar to the Portuguese scenario from repeating in Puerto Rico – where hospital admissions for Covid-19 have been steadily declining since mid-December – Colón Ramos acknowledged that new precautions may need to be taken. The Federal Epidemiologist, Anthony FauciFor example, he has spoken of people using two masks, something that Colón Ramos said needs further study.
“In the coalition, we will examine that recommendation and those studies, to see which recommendations we make to the governor (Pedro Pierluisi) and the residents of Puerto Rico about those individual behaviors. General precautions remain the same: 1.80 meters of free space, washing hands and use of masks. If we’re going to (recommend) two masks, one made of fabric and the other a little more protective, we’ll look at that, ”said the Puerto Rican scientist.
The fear that the strain B.1.1.7. It arouses in experts that while it is not necessarily more damaging to the immune system than other variants of SARS-CoV-2, it is significantly more contagious and collectively poses a greater danger.
“We will find out shortly (the prevalence of the new species in Puerto Rico), in days or weeks. Molecular epidemiology, contact tracing studies are needed. Those were investigations since December Health Department she prepared to establish them, in collaboration with academic centers and federal institutions. I’m glad they started then because they enabled us to do the jobs that are needed. I would be very surprised if that species has just arrived in Puerto Rico, ”said Colón Ramos.
The scientist pointed out that both the Pfizer like the Modern – Those available in Puerto Rico – have proven to be effective against B.1.1.7., But there are still certain aspects of which there is no certainty about this mutation.
For example, it is not certain whether a person infected with the original variant of SARS-CoV-2 retains some degree of immunity to the new strain, although Colón Ramos recalled that isolated cases of reinfections have been known for months. .
Faced with the next executive order, which will take effect on February 8, Colón Ramos expected that “in these days” the Scientific Coalition could publish the recommendations it will present to Governor Pierluisi.
“We have had discussions with ourselves and with the governor’s team. We are in the process of collecting (the recommendations) in writing. The recommendations will be presented and published, ”said Colón Ramos, emphasizing that the decision on which recommendations should ultimately be adopted rests with the CEO.