Mexico detects first case of COVID-19 variant Omicron

Mexico detected its first case of the COVID-19 Omicron variant in a person who arrived in the country from South Africa on Nov. 21, the Health Ministry said on Friday.

According to a ministry statement, six days after arriving in Mexico, the fully-vaccinated South African businessman presented symptoms of COVID-19, was tested and found to have the Omicron variant.

The 51-year-old patient has been hospitalized in Mexico City.

“So far, the people who had contact with this first case have not registered symptoms, warning signs or positivity for the SARS-CoV-2 virus” that causes COVID-19, the ministry said.

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Mexico’s undersecretary of Prevention and Health Promotion, Hugo Lopez-Gatell, said on Twitter that the patient has a “mild illness” and “his recovery prognosis is favorable.”

Lopez-Gatell urged the public to remain calm and continue social distancing to prevent new COVID-19 infections.

Mexico has registered 3,894,364 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 294,715 deaths from the disease, according to the government’s latest report.