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The Government ordered that the flights be suspended due to the presence of the B.1.1.28. Lineage, associated with genetic changes that could have a greater impact on transmissibility and the immune response towards the virus. Commercial flights from Leticia to Bogotá are also suspended.
On January 27, the President of the Republic, Iván Duque, announced that he will suspend all flights from Brazil. The reason? The rapid growth of a coronavirus lineage in that country, which could have an impact on transmissibility and immune response to the virus. (Read Everything you need to know to understand the world of vaccines)
Variant P.1, lineage B.1.1.28. it is associated with a “large number of genetic changes, especially in spike protein, including three mutations of greatest concern.” According to preliminary evidence, they warn, these mutations “could have an impact on transmissibility and on a possible evasion of the host’s immune response.”
According to the president, the Brazilian health authorities have indicated that, apparently, this new variant could be the most prevalent in the state of Amazonas and could be the most plausible explanation for the recent wave of cases. However, they clarify, it is too early to say with certainty that it is responsible for this increase in infections.
“Given the increase in transmission in some regions of the country, since several capitals show an increase in the occupancy of Intensive Care Units (ICUs), the entry of a new strain could aggravate the situation,” reads the resolution that will be forthcoming from the Ministry of Health. (You can read: The new lineage of the coronavirus that set off alarms in the Amazon)
Likewise, they warn that the presence of this lineage could make it difficult to detect cases and contacts, since there is no clarity about the performance of antigen tests when detecting it. One of the main concerns has to do with the Amazon. “Due to border dynamics, since Colombia shares a river and land border with Brazil in the Amazon region, the spread may be greater from the Amazon to the center of the country through air travel and through which the new variant could spread ”, they highlight.
Due to that scenario, the government also decided to suspend Leticia’s commercial flights to Bogotá. For those who have traveled from the capital of the Amazon as of January 18, the Ministry of Health recommends carrying out a preventive isolation of 14 days.
Exceptions for entry from Brazil
As the Minsalud and Mintransporte explain in the resolution, entry to Colombia will only be admitted in the case of “Colombians and foreigners who start their flight from Brazil or who start their connecting flight to Colombia, before the effective date of this resolution “or when it is about” Colombians and foreigners who, due to a time difference, have already been summoned to the air terminal before the entry into force of this resolution. ” (It may interest you: This is how Colombia’s genomic surveillance goes with the coronavirus)
In addition, entry will be allowed in the case of “Colombians and foreigners with permanent residence in Colombia, authorized to take humanitarian flights, if permitted, in accordance with the evolution of the global and national epidemiological situation.”
Passengers who arrive in the country because Colombia is part of an international connection but it is not their final destination, will have to follow the course of their trip, but will have to stay in a special waiting area.
But, says the Minsalud, if any traveler entered the country from Brazil since January 18, 2021, directly or by connection, they must comply with a 14-day quarantine.
Why is this lineage restless?
Although the P1 lineage (descendant of B.1.1.28) still needs to be studied in much more depth, one of the reasons why it is disturbing has to do with what is currently happening in Manaus, the main city of the Brazilian Amazon. .
As happened in the first months of 2020, COVID-19 cases have skyrocketed and health services have reached their limit. This weekend, according to the Efe agency, some 250 patients had to be transported to other cities due to the absence of hospital and oxygen services. (You may be interested: Genealogical analysis shows that the coronavirus has been in bats for more than 40 years)
Although there are still many doubts to be resolved, a few weeks ago a group of scientists led by Nuno Faria from Imperial College London published an article confirming that there is an increase in this lineage in the Amazon region of Brazil.
After taking PCR tests at the end of December and sequencing 31 collected samples, they identified that lineage in 42% of them, something that they had not detected in 2020.
“These findings indicate local transmission and a possible increase in this lineage in the Amazon region,” they pointed out. It may be potentially associated with an increase in transmissibility or a propensity for reinfection of individuals. “It contains several mutations of possible biological importance,” they noted.
Later, with new sequencing of the samples taken, the same team confirmed that the most recent cases of COVID-19 in Manaus are being caused by the transmission of that lineage, although they warn that others may be circulating.
“These results should be considered preliminary at this stage. Larger representative data sets are required to further investigate changes in the frequency of this lineage in Manaus and elsewhere, ”they write. (Also read: The effects of the second sanitary collapse in Manaus, the Brazilian Amazon)
