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Date Published: 03/05/2021
ARCHIVED - New case of Indian Covid variant confirmed in Extremadura following outbreak on boat in Vigo
Following the largescale Covid crisis in India, thought to be driven by the B.1.617 ‘Indian’ strain, a new case of the variant has been identified in Extremadura, western Spain.
The case, which was reportedly contracted by a person who attended a training course in Madrid, follows three further confirmed variant infections among three of the 22 crew members on a ship docked in Vigo, northern Spain.
The Extremadura Health Service announced that the latest person to test positive for the virus began to show symptoms on April 19 after attending a course in Madrid from April 12 where they came into contact with an Indian citizen.
The course attendee tested positive for the virus on April 20 and showed mild symptoms, and the Spanish authorities confirmed PCR tests will now be carried out on the medical team who attended the person since it is unknown whether their vaccinations will protect against the strain.
A day earlier, three of the 22 crew members of the ship ‘Prometheus Leader,’ docked in Vigo, also tested positive for the Indian strain.
The Galician Health Service (Sergas) said that two of the crew members had been hospitalised at the Vithas Fatima in Vigo and are stable, while the ship remains moored at the Vigo Trasatlanticos Port with its crew in quarantine.
The cargo ship arrived in Vigo last Tuesday from Southampton in the UK.
Despite concerns that the new B.1.617 strain is behind the current outbreak in India, the World Health Organisation has called it a “variant of interest” and not a the highest alert level, a “variant of concern.”
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