In Ecuador, the fourth dose against covid-19 is already applied

Ecuador is advancing the plan for the implementation of the fourth vaccine against COVID-19. The announcement was made by the Minister of Health, Ximena Garzón. The secretary of the Public Health Portfolio said that those over 50 who have received the third vaccine and who have already reached 5 months or more after receiving this last dose, can go to the vaccination centers for the fourth booster dose. The national health authority authorized the administration of the anti-COVID-19 drug nationwide.

Garzón said that COVID-19 monitoring in Ecuador shows 5% infection and that control of the pandemic disease can soon be ensured. He stated that the low levels of COVID-19 in the country, as well as its downward trend, affirm this possibility and although he acknowledged the absence of the Delta variant in Ecuador in recent weeks, he asserted that the dominant variant is the Ómicron.

Although the Ómicron BA.2 sublineage is the most registered in the country today, Garzón insists that no significant changes are recognized in the behavior of infections. He assures that despite the fact that it is more contagious, as in other countries, in Ecuador there are no significant statistical changes in the evolution of the disease.

In mid-March, the most common variant in the world was the Ómicron BA.1 sublineage, which surprised experts with its high levels of contagion, even though it had low mortality rates. But now the World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that Omicron BA.2 accounts for almost 86% of cases globally.

The disease, which is rapidly declining everywhere, has resurfaced in Europe in recent weeks and, according to the head of the WHO European Division, Hans Kluge, this is due to variant BA.2.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that approximately 55% of new infections in the country are due to BA.2. This means that this is the dominant variant in the North American country.

BA.2 is often referred to as the “silent” subvariant, because it does not respond to any of the genetic markers that were being used by researchers to quickly determine whether the disease was BA.1 or Delta.

Like other types, BA.2 infection can be detected by a polymerase chain reaction (or PCR) test, but these tests cannot differentiate BA.2 from Delta.

However, the Minister of Health of Ecuador, Ximena Garzón, revealed that in hospitals belonging to the public health network, admissions have fallen so much that even some do not register new hospitalizations for several days. As of Friday, April 1, of the 627 beds available, only 5% correspond to patients with coronavirus. Of these, 10% correspond to intermediate care and 9% to intensive care. This, according to Minister Garzón, will allow the system to treat other diseases.

In the hospital systems of civil social security and police social security (IESS and ISSPOL, for short) there are 621 beds for cases of COVID-19, of which 20% are occupied.

Garzón estimates that COVID-19 could soon be considered in Ecuador as an endemic and no longer a pandemic threat, because the hospital system is decongesting steadily. According to reports from the Ministry of Public Health of Ecuador, there has been a significant reduction in the number of deaths from COVID-19 to 2 per day in patients over 50 years of age but with pre-existing and immunosuppressive diseases, demonstrating that vaccination offers favorable results. This is how the levels of the pre-pandemic are being reached, according to Garzón.

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