"We do not have community circulation of these variants in Angola, we do have the detection of these cases that the minister informed, they are only contained, so it is necessary to continue testing for all people who arrive from abroad via ports or airports", said the doctor Maria das Dores Mateta, speaking to Lusa.
The Minister of Health, Sílvia Lutucuta, said on Monday, in a press conference, that seven cases of the South African variant were registered, six of the English variant, with four cases still being investigated.
For the doctor, the new strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are currently a worldwide concern, as they mainly affect young people, as opposed to the first variants, as a result of their "great mutation capacity".
"Because every time it replicates, it makes new variants and, these new variants, have had losses for the youngest and have a great facility to transmit from person to person", she pointed out.
Maria das Dores Mateta, who did not confirm the touted high level of lethality of the South African and English variants compared to the first variant, added that "the only difference and the major concern is the transmission power that is greater in the younger layer ".
The actions and efforts of health authorities, "with quick measures to stabilize and control" the numbers of covid-19 in the country, were also praised by the professional, considering that the authorities "are attentive".
Because, she explained: "We are always on the lookout and the authorities will take action as soon as cases arise." "In fact, it is because of these measures that the minister informed us that we have already detected these two variants in the country and all these quarantine measures for people arriving from other countries is precisely for the detection of these new variants so that there is no community circulation", she noticed.
According to Sílvia Lutucuta, of the English variant, three suspicions were detected at the airport, in the post-landing test, which was immediately isolated in the center of Barra do Kwanza. Two of the passengers were from Lisbon and one from São Tomé and Príncipe.
Regarding the South African variant, five of the cases were detected at the airport, readily isolated for treatment centers, and one case is under study, in which all aspects related to its epidemiological situation are being evaluated.
