Antarctica became the last continent to be attacked by COVID-19

Antarctica is also an unavoidable presence of COVID-19 – Photo: REUTERS

Spanish media reported that 36 people linked to the Chilean military base Bernado O’Higgins Riquelme tested positive for coronavirus on December 21.

The O’Higgins base is one of the 13 Chilean military bases that operate in Antarctica. The base, named after General Bernado O’Higgins Riquelme, was an important figure in helping Chile’s independence from Spain. O’Higgins is also one of the oldest continuously operating bases in Antarctica since 1948.

The new patients include 26 Chilean military personnel and 10 civilian contractors, according to the radio. ABC.

This base is located on the northern side of the Antarctic Peninsula, a part of West Antarctica (one of the two main regions of Antarctica). O’Higgins is far from the Australian base in the East Antarctic region and is believed to be very difficult to access.

At least some infected people are believed to have had many symptoms, according to the AP news agency. The 36 people are then taken to the city of Punta Arenas in southern Chile, where they will be quarantined.

As for replacement personnel, a new group was quarantined, tested negative, and sent to replace the aforementioned group of 36 people.

Also on December 21, the Chilean Navy registered 3 members of a logistics ship bound for the Antarctic base positive for coronavirus after returning from the cold continent. Surprisingly, the entire crew tested negative before leaving for the trip to Antarctica.

Antarctica has no permanent residents, but it typically has around 1,000-5,000 people, mostly made up of scientists and support staff at research facilities scattered across the continent.

In 1918, when the Spanish flu pandemic occurred, Antarctica did not have any infections, but 36 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 meant that the corona virus was present on every continent on Earth.

According to John Hopkins University, COVID-19 has infected more than 77.3 million people and caused more than 1.7 million deaths.

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