Positive test for mutated virus

So far, two people have been diagnosed with the new variant of the UK virus in Norway.

Infection detection teams in Oslo and the municipality of Kinn are monitoring people in isolation.

In an updated risk report, the National Institute of Public Health warns that new variants of the coronavirus will spread in Norway.

– It is likely that we will detect the British variant of the virus in several people in Norway in the future, Line Vold, department director of FHI, tells TV 2.

It states that the NIPH and the Norwegian Health Directorate are working to prepare new advice to the government to strengthen measures against the spread of the virus. At the same time, he says that much is still unknown about the new variant of the virus.

New advice

– Norway has some of the strictest entry rules in Europe. Now a system for the registration of quarantine sites is being implemented, in addition to a greater number of tests and measures to strengthen compliance with entry rules, says Vold.

To reduce the risk of importing the mutated virus, the NIPH has recommended that the government strengthen measures.

– We advise, among other things, to increase testing of those traveling from the UK, focus on greater compliance with quarantine advice and tighten exceptions to quarantine rules. All of this is being worked out now, says Vold.

Deputy Health Director Espen Rostrup Nakstad also announces adjustments.

– Frequent testing and good compliance with the quarantine obligation are more crucial now than before. We are now working to adapt these systems, he says.

The family tests negative

It is not known exactly when the two people infected with the virus arrived in Norway in December, but the case of the infection in Kinn is said to have arrived in Norway on a family visit “in mid-December”.

The family of the person who has been diagnosed with the mutated virus will be examined Monday for the fourth time.

– They have tested negative three times. We will get the answers to the test we took tonight, says Kinn Township Mayor Jan Helge Dale.

Since arriving from the UK, the infected person has been in quarantine with his family. Despite the mutated virus being described as much more contagious, the family has yet to be infected.

– How is it possible?

– Good question. Possibly it shows that we don’t know everything about this virus, says Dale.

The person who was first diagnosed with the mutated virus tested negative in two samples, before the third showed that they were infected.

– This is something we constantly see examples of. While the tests are good, there are sources of error that can make the answers not always correct, says the municipal chief.

Will be updated continuously

– Do studies still indicate that the mutation is 70 percent more contagious?

– Much is still unknown about the new variant of the virus. British authorities have reported that the variant may be 70 percent more contagious, but this is being investigated further, Vold says.

According to Nakstad, the latest reports show that the virus variant is 50 to 60 percent more contagious, but he emphasizes that these are preliminary estimates.

– There is little doubt that the virus is more contagious, but so far there are no sure signs that it causes a more serious illness, he says.

Since many countries do not perform mutation testing on their samples, the Norwegian Health Directorate believes that it is now difficult to map the spread of the virus in Europe.

– The greatest risk is associated with entry from countries where the mutated virus has already begun to spread. It’s probably not just the UK that this is happening, Nakstad says.

The National Institute of Public Health will closely monitor the situation in the future and continuously update the number of people who have been diagnosed with the virus variant in Norway.

Measures recommended by FHI to limit the risk of import infection

FHI recommends that until more knowledge is available, various measures be implemented to limit the risk of importing the English and South African variant of the coronavirus.

NIPH states that measures must be evaluated frequently in accordance with the risk assessment.

• The NIPH has asked municipalities and laboratories to pay special attention when testing people who may be infected abroad, as they have previously reported testing of arrivals from the UK.
• The NIPH is aware of what other countries’ test and vaccine providers and infection control institutes report on this variant.
• FHI collects and sequences viruses from patients who have been vaccinated, but still become infected and sick.
• It has been decided that a two-test test regimen will be introduced during the quarantine period for visitors, that the quarantine period for visitors will generally be shortened, and that visitors can be quarantined by a negative PCR test on the day seven. For travelers from the United Kingdom, two tests are mandatory, but the quarantine period is not shortened, in any case they must have ten days in quarantine.
• FHI recommends greater compliance with quarantine rules and information on the matter for all travelers.
• FHI recommends that consideration be given to introducing a quarantine obligation for all people living in the same housing unit as the one in entry quarantine after traveling from the UK or South Africa.
• NIPH recommends fewer exceptions to the inbound quarantine. Those who need to be exempt must follow a probationary regimen. A general hardening of the relevant sections can be considered by introducing a test on arrival, work quarantine until negative test at least on day three, and leisure quarantine until negative test on day seven.

Kide: National Institute of Public Health

– unlucky

– If we have an outbreak of the new variant of the virus in Norway, what worries you most?

– It will probably take longer to control outbreaks with the new variant of the virus. This means that it is also more likely to spread to new groups of infections, Nakstad says.

This will make the infection tracking job for municipalities more complete.

– Of course, it is unfortunate that municipalities at the same time have to initiate vaccines that require a lot of health personnel resources, he says.

The first cases of the mutated virus were detected on Sunday. It is the same day that the first coronary vaccine was administered in Norway.

The violence encourages municipalities to prepare for cases of infection by the new virus.

– It is important to have the ability to handle any outbreak and spread of the virus with the virus in the municipalities of Norway, he says.

– Extra challenging

The Oslo health service confirms that the infected person in the municipality and close contacts are followed in accordance with current infection control regulations.

The Oslo City Council says they are preparing for several cases of infection.

– I think the probability that we will see more cases is definitely present. I feel that the attention around this is great and I hope that we can isolate the cases that may arise, both in Oslo and in Norway, says health adviser Robert Steen.

– Does this mean that the measures will last longer and be even more stringent?

– It is the pressure of the infection that is decisive for both measures and restrictions. Therefore, the behavior that you and I are imitating now in the coming days and weeks will be crucial. It is clear that we will probably be more challenging when we have a mutated virus that is more infection friendly than what we have had so far, Steen says.