Brazil confirmed the first two cases of the Deltacron variant of the coronavirus

Brazil's Minister of Health, Marcelo Queiroga, confirmed on Tuesday that the country has recorded the first two cases of the new coronavirus variant known as Deltacron, the result of a merger between Delta and Ómicron.

Queiroga told journalists that both cases have been recorded in the north of the country, in the Amazonian states of Pará and Amapá, which border Suriname and French Guiana.

The minister indirectly linked this border condition to infections and, although he did not specify that these are “imported cases”, he did point out that the variant, already named in scientific media as Deltacron, “is more present in France and other European countries”.

According to Queiroga, “it is an important variant, requiring vigilance”, but it should not generate unrest or fear, since “the health authorities will be alert” and will take the necessary measures if the situation worsens.

He also stressed that the appearance of these two cases does not yet suggest that the protocols in force should be altered, which have already eliminated the severe restrictions imposed over the past two years in many cities and states in almost the entire country.

According to the minister, the emergence of a new mutation should lead to greater recognition of the importance of vaccination and to citizens completing the immunization schedule.

According to official data, so far 84 per cent of the 213 million Brazilians have at least one dose, while 74 per cent have already applied the two required doses.

Brazil is one of the countries most affected by the pandemic in the world and, as of this Monday, it had 655,249 deaths and 29.3 million cases, with 171 deaths and 11,287 infections on the last day.

In recent weeks, after a sharp drop in incidence, most cities in the country have almost completely relaxed restrictions and eliminated the mandatory use of masks outdoors, a measure that in Rio de Janeiro has even extended to indoor spaces.

(With information from EFE)

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