MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Increase in number of Covid-19 cases reported in Argentina

Cases went up significantly from Dec. 18-24 to Jan. 1-7

An increase in the number of Covid-19 cases has been reported by local media this week in Argentina -particularly in the City of Buenos Aires, the Province of Buenos Aires, Chaco, Jujuy, and Tucumán- and some people are beginning to fear an encore of the 2020 lockdown measures in the winter season.

This surge is associated with the appearance of the JN.1 subvariant, also known as Pirola, which is causing a worldwide wave. In this scenario, experts insisted on the importance of taking booster doses of vaccines.

”In the last two weeks, there has been an increase in the number of cases. If the cases are ordered by date of onset of symptoms (FIS) at a national level, there was an increase from 84 average daily notifications in the week of December 18-24 to 212 in the week of January 1-7,” National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (Conicet) researcher Jorge Aliaga told Télam. The scientist added that “the notifications are only a small part of what is happening because at present very little swabbing is being done.”

From the week of December 18-24 to the week of January 1-7, cases went up from 21 per day to 97 in the province of Tucumán; in Jujuy, they climbed from 3 cases per day to 23, and in Chaco, the average number of cases per day rose from 3 to 11. In the province of Buenos Aires, the average number of cases per day rose from 15 to 34 and in the City of Buenos Aires there was also an increase from 7 average daily notifications to 17.

“In Argentina, the last periods of growth in cases coincided with the entry of new variants. This time a possible cause may be the entry of the JN.1 subvariant,” said Aliaga.

Earlier this week, Infectiologist Hugo Pizzi said in a radio interview that it was “very important to have the updated vaccine”.

“Covid never went away,” he added while explaining that the new strain was “so aggressive and we also have antibodies but it is important to be vaccinated.”

Cardiologist Mario Fitz Maurice wrote on his X account that he was “Leaving the hospital!” and advised his followers to “Do whatever you want, just be aware that the number of patients with COVID is significant. If you can in enclosed and crowded environments, WEAR A FACEMASK AGAIN.” His message elicited multiple negative replies from people announcing that they would not comply this time around if ordered to stay at home.

“The pandemic emergency is over, but this does not mean that the virus has disappeared,” Fitz Maurice also said in a radio interview. “We must inform [the citizenry] so that everyone can take the path they believe to be the most correct,” he stressed.