The National Undersecretary of Health Surveillance Francisco Perez reviewed there are currently three patients infected with the new strain, all detected so far in Pichincha province.

The virus is spread out in Pichincha, and from our experience, it is likely to be present in other provinces; for such a reason, we keep genomic surveillance at national level, Perez argued at a press conference.

The expert explained that Covid-19 cases reported in Ecuador have been decreasing in the last six weeks, and there have been no deaths from the disease for the last 20 days.

The new strain EG.5 may affect more people with comorbidities or lack of vaccination schedule, so the specialist called on the population to apply bivalent vaccines. For the time being, wearing facemasks is highly recommended for people with respiratory symptoms in order to avoid contagion, he revealed.

According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), EG.5 strain was classed of concern on August 9, following a steady growth in the proportion of reported infections.

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