Last Updated on January 1, 2022, 2:05 AM AST by Anthony Morris
St Kitts and Nevis is now among the countries that have recorded the cases of new coronavirus variant. The Chief Medical Officer Dr Hazel Laws declared during press-briefing that two persons have tested positive for Omicron variant of COVID-19.
She revealed that n December 22, 2021, health officials sent three samples to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) for genome sequencing, and two of the three samples tested positive for the Omicron mutation of concern.
“When we look at the data from these two samples, we can see that the Omicron variation is spreading throughout the Federation. The Lambda variety has been in circulation for the previous seven months “Dr. Laws stated.
As a result, St Kitts and Nevis has two COVID-19 variants: Omicron and Lambda, according to her.
She advised more people to receive their vaccine as the virus continue to spread across the countru. She said so far, the Ministry of Health has been able to obtain sufficient dosages for the entire Federation’s population, and a successful immunisation programme has been carried out.
To combat the spread of COVID-19, Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine booster doses are widely available in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, and all eligible persons are recommended to get them.
The CMO, Dr. Laws, also spoke about how unvaccinated and vulnerable patients are more prone to develop the Omicron type.
“Our data shows that 68 percent of COVID-19 patients are unvaccinated, 26 percent are fully vaccinated, and the remaining seven (7) percent are partially vaccinated,” says the study.
As a result, she claims, it remains a sickness that primarily strikes the most vulnerable and unvaccinated.
“I’d like to take advantage of this occasion to reach out to those who have not yet been vaccinated, to arm you with the most up-to-date information, and to invite you to join us in protecting yourself from COVID-19 by consenting to the vaccination.”
The Omicron form was first discovered in South Africa in late November and early December 2021, but it swiftly spread over the world, with cases confirmed in dozens of countries.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
