Multiple COVID Variants Found in Samples from Corozal, Orange Walk, Belize and Cayo Districts

The verdict is in: not only does Belize have the Delta variant of COVID, we also have three others. This evening, the Ministry of Health and Wellness announced that test results from samples sent to Baylor College of Medicine in Texas are back after weeks of waiting.  From a total of eighty-one people diagnosed as COVID-19 positive and for whom sequencing was done, these are the findings.  Seventy-five percent of the samples tested negative for any of the variants of concern.  But twenty-five percent did show variants, including the EPSILON, Alpha V1 variant, Delta variant and Gamma V3. According to the ministry, the term “variants of concern” refers to the genetic changes of the original virus that may cause significant community transmission or multiple clusters with significant increase in the clinical presentation of the disease. The variants identified so far are from residents of the Corozal, Orange Walk, Belize and Cayo districts. The Ministry of Health and Wellness reminds everyone that those diagnosed positive for COVID-19 must isolate and cooperate with contact tracing.  If you have not already, get vaccinated since vaccinated persons are less likely to get infected and spread the disease. If they do get COVID-19, they are much less likely to get a severe case or be hospitalized.