Malé, Maldives – Health Emergency Operation Center (HEOC) has stated that a new Covid-19 variant has been found in the Maldives.
Public Health Expert, Dr Sheena Moosa said that this new variant was found using the same proxy indicators as the UK. The same protein structure of the variant was found in the Maldives.
By international standards we are now a high risk country.
Maldives
The new variant is the cause for the sudden escalation of cases in the Malé city and the same variant has been confirmed in the atolls. The new variant is highly contagious and has a more severe impact on the infected person.
Research has found that while the previous variant of the virus found in the country infected 2 people per infected person, the new variant infects 5 per infected person.
The new variants has the ability to devastate the organ systems and can lead to more hospitalized patients.
Dr. Sheena warned the country that relaxed quarantine guidelines for tourists, Maldivians and expats arriving from abroad was the how the virus entered the country, and if safety measures were not strictly implemented, Maldives will not be able to control the Covid-19 crisis in the country.
