Bodø: everyone infected with the South African virus

Deputy Health Director Espen Rostrup Nakstad now names Bodø and the surrounding area as the most affected infection area in Norway alongside Kristiansand and the Oslo area.

– Bodø is one of the few places where the South African variant seems to have taken hold. Because the effect of the vaccine against this variant appears to be less than the British variant, we hope that the South African will not become dominant in Norway, Nakstad says in an interview with the Nordland newspaper.

Earlier this week, Bodø surpassed 200 people with confirmed COVID-19 infection. On Wednesday, seven new positive corona tests came out.

The municipal chief doctor Tor Claudi may be more exact than the deputy health director about what is happening with Bodø and the dreaded mutation of the virus that originates in South Africa.

South African virus can cause problems with vaccines

– All 160-170 test results sequenced here show that the infection is from the South African virus. There may be a couple of tests that show another source of infection. I don’t have the exact numbers in front of me. In practice, everything comes from the South African virus. Most of those infected are under the age of 50, says the Dagbladet municipal chief.

From traveling the Middle East

The first case of this virus was detected in early February. And the municipal chief and the health team know how he got to Bodø.

– It is an import infection, but not labor immigration. Someone brought you here from a trip to the Middle East. We can’t say more for privacy reasons, says Tor Claudi.

The infection tracking team has located sources of infection in approximately 85 to 90 percent of cases. And the municipality’s health team has found that infection with the South African mutant spreads much faster than the “common” corona virus.

Therefore, the “escape mutation” can create problems.

Four times higher infection rate

Espen Rostrup Nakstad noted on NRK Monday morning that Oslo now has roughly the same number of infected people as the previous peak for two months together, by New Years.

At the time, the common virus was the largest source of infection and it took four weeks for the peak to accumulate.

The mutated virus, especially the British variant, has become the main source of infection in Oslo. And the new peak has arrived in a week.

Bodø has made clear experiences in a short time with a couple of repeaters of infection situations.

Parties and driving

– Much comes from private meetings and driving. Even if only one person at a party is a carrier from the beginning, in practice everyone becomes infected. And we have many cases of infection from driving a car where several people are sitting together in the same air in a closed car, says municipal chief doctor Tor Claudi.

It has a clear recommendation for driving: – Avoid having people in the car other than those you should accompany. Don’t bring anyone from the neighborhood, for example, he says.

And about meetings: – Preferably not at all. Be careful with the subway rule and the maximum number of guests.

– Have you gained control in the municipality of Bodø?

– We call you that we have received an overview in the last few days. And the number of infections has decreased a bit by the day, says municipal chief physician Tor Claudi.

And give a good note:

– People have become very good at wearing masks indoors in a public place after the municipality entered a court order last Thursday.

Confirm South African mutation