Omicron BA.2 Variant detected in Jamaica

Racquel A. McKenzie

2 years ago

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The Ministry of Health and Wellness has announced that the highly contagious Omicron BA.2 variant has been detected in Jamaica.

This was confirmed in two of the latest gene sequencing samples from the National Influenza Centre at the University Hospital of the West Indies.

In addition, 89 samples were collected between the periods of January to March respectively.

Of those samples, 98.9% were Omicron variants while the remaining 1.1 % represented the Delta variant.

Meanwhile, Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Jacqueline Bisasor McKenzie has indicated that there may be an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases as the variant is highly transmissible.

Dr. Bisasor Mckenzie also underscored that person who have mild symptoms or even no symptoms may be at risk for developing long COVID. As such an appeal has been issued by the Ministry to the public to visit any of the more than 200 vaccination centers to be inoculated if they have not already done so.

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