The Secretariat of Health of Baja California confirmed this Tuesday that the variants from the United Kingdom (B.1.1.7), South Africa (b.1.351) and Brazil (P.1.) were located in Mexicali.

Last Saturday, the head of this agency, Alonso Pérez Rico, announced that these variants were already circulating in the State; however, he did not give details about the affected patients.

Today he pointed out that in the case of the South African variant, it appeared on April 27th of this year in a resident of the Mexicali Valley, who had no history of having traveled to that continent.

Regarding the United Kingdom variant, it was also identified in Mexicali, but in a death on May 21.

In turn, on this last date, the Brazilian variant was located in the case of a person in the Mexicali territory.

With these, there are a total of five variants in Baja California that are considered of public health concern. As it will be recalled, in April 2021, Pérez Rico notified about the arrival of the variants from California, United States, B.1.427 and B.1.429, the first one registered in Mexicali and the second one in Tijuana.

According to the Secretary at the time, the recently identified variants could cause the third wave of infections, as they are transmitted 50% faster and are more lethal; in addition, they have the capacity to decrease the neutralization by antibodies of previously infected or vaccinated patients.

As most of the variants are in the State capital, Pérez Rico said:

You have to take a lot more care, because these variants are going to transit throughout the State, and eventually throughout Mexico.

And he added that this can be controlled if you do not let your guard down and take the corresponding preventive measures.

Currently, Mexicali reports 281 of the 370 active COVID-19 cases in Baja California.

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