Coronavirus discovered in Brazil in late 2019

Special: Fight against the new coronavirus

Sample results come as a global resurgence in the event of a major domestic blow

COVID-19 was probably in Brazil as early as December 2019, as the Brazilian state confirmed on Tuesday that antibodies against the coronavirus were found in serum samples collected there.

The Department of Health in the State of Espirito Santo in southeastern Brazil has announced the presence of SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG antibodies in serum samples dating back to December 2019.

Antibodies were detected in 210 people. Sixteen of the samples suggested the presence of the virus in the state before Brazil published its first officially confirmed case on February 26, 2020. One of the cases was collected on December 18, 2019.

Authorities said it could have occurred between late November and early December 2019, as it takes about 20 days for patients to reach detectable levels of IgG after infection.

On the same day, the Brazilian Ministry of Health conducted a detailed epidemiological study and issued a notice instructing the state to send serum samples to the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Rio de Janeiro for RT-PCR testing.

“Only through confirmation by reference laboratories and deepening epidemiological studies will the Ministry of Health be able to confirm whether these cases were truly positive for SARS-CoV-2,” the ministry said.

Brazil has the second highest COVID-19 death toll in the world after the United States and has experienced a second wave of outbreaks since December last year, with higher cases and deaths. ..

COVID-19 deaths reached 205,964 in Latin American countries on Wednesday after 1,274 people died from the coronavirus in the last 24 hours. Over 60,000 new infections were reported during the same period, bringing the country to a total of over 8.2 million.

Immunization efforts are increasing around the world, but the virus continues to cause damage in many areas.

According to data from Johns Hopkins University, the number of cases of coronavirus worldwide reached 92.4 million on Thursday, with more than 2 million deaths.

In Europe, the United Kingdom recorded 1,564 deaths in 24 hours, bringing the total casualties to 84,767.

Strict measures

After the detection of a highly contagious strain of coronavirus, England was in a third national blockade, schools were closed and people were ordered to stay home. Similar restrictions are in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson told lawmakers that although it was “early,” the latest regulations “began to show signs of some effect.”

According to the Spanish Ministry of Health, Spain recorded a record number of coronavirus cases per day on Wednesday, with nearly 39,000 new infections occurring in the last 24 hours.

The data showed that Spain was in a “very high risk, extreme risk” situation, said Carolina Darias, Minister of Regional Policy and Civil Service.

In many parts of Spain, new restrictions have been introduced to stop the spread of COVID-19, such as the closure of bars and restaurants.

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said the country will enter a new blockade on Friday.

Switzerland has closed stores selling unwanted goods and ordered them to work from home to prevent a surge in the number of cases. He said the mutations detected in the UK had already taken root.

Denmark said it would extend the blockade until February 7, in the face of a “very worrisome” increase in infections from British viral variants.