Delta variant now cause of 95% of COVID-19 cases in São Paulo
Most of the cases of COVID-19 in São Paulo, Brazil’s biggest and most populous city, is caused by the delta variant of the novel coronavirus. According to a study conducted by the Tropical Medicine Institute of the University of São Paulo (USP) and by the Adolfo Lutz Institute, the variant accounts for 95.2 percent of the cases of the disease registered in the capital. The other cases, 4.06 percent, are caused by the gama variant.
The study was based on the sequencing of the virus in new cases last week, when 573 people were found to have been infected with the delta variant. Since July, when the delta variant started circulating in the city, 2,494 cases have been identified.
According to city authorities, despite the presence of the delta variant, the number of cases has not shown significant growth. Testing has been carried out at basic care stations on people who had contact with anyone infected.
Sanitary barriers are also in place at the Congonhas Airport and at the main bus terminals in order to spot possible contaminated passengers.
A total of 16.9 thousand doses of the vaccine against the novel coronavirus have been administered in the city, which ensured the thorough immunization (with either two doses or a single dose) of 71.4 percent of the population aged 18 and older.
