Peru locked in the infernal spiral of variants
A resident of Lima receives a dose of Pfizer-BioNTech on March 23, 2021. REUTERS - SEBASTIAN CASTANEDA
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
The Brazilian variant is spreading alarmingly throughout Latin America.
In Peru, the first case of infection of this variant was detected in February in the region of Loreto, on the Brazilian border.
It has since spread at high speed across the country, and as far as Lima, where it accounts for nearly half of new cases.
This has serious consequences for the sick and the already weakened Peruvian health system.
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With our correspondent in Lima,
Wyloën Munhoz-Boillot
For several weeks, the San Isidro Labrador hospital, reserved for Covid patients and located in the district of Ate, east of Lima, has been completely overwhelmed.
“
All of our inpatient and intensive care beds are full.
We have to accommodate patients on wheelchairs and stretchers,
”says Dr Luis Palomino.
The fault of the Brazilian variant which represents on average 40% of new cases of coronavirus in Lima and up to 60% in this popular district where it is wreaking havoc.
“
We have whole families infected.
We see people arriving younger than during the first wave.
Patients of 26, 30, or 35 years in serious conditions that must be placed on respiratory assistance in intensive care.
And some of these young people are dying.
"
In most cases, these are re-infections, that is, people who have already had the Covid and have recovered from it.
This is one of the characteristic features of the Brazilian variant which has invaded Peru in recent weeks and which worries specialists.
Like infectious disease specialist Juan Celis.
“
There are a lot of patients infected during the first wave who are infected again.
We also know that this variant is more contagious because it has a viral load ten times higher.
This is terrible because between the possibility of re-infections and greater contagiousness, the number of cases is increasing more rapidly and with it the number of hospitalized patients.
What makes the health system saturated.
"
In an attempt to stem the phenomenon, Peruvian health authorities recommend that the population wear two masks.
In addition, the government has just extended the suspension of flights from Brazil for at least two weeks.
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Peru
Health and medicine
Coronavirus