Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. Scientific Department/CVDN, Mindelo, Cape Verde.
Centre for Integration of Data and Knowledge for Health (CIDACS-Fiocruz/Bahia), Salvador, BA, Brazil. Scientific Department/CVDN, Mindelo, Cape Verde.
Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil. Scientific Department/CVDN, Mindelo, Cape Verde.
Since March 2020, we have been living in a pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, responsible for COVID-19 disease. The emergence of new variants and strains of SARS-CoV-2 virus, in particular the Delta variant in October 2020, sparked a new alert for the scientific community, given its high efficiency in replication and transmissibility, as well as its relationship to more serious symptoms, which contribute to the increase of hospitalization and mortality rates, particularly in African countries. In this case report, we explored the arrival of the Delta variant in Cape Verde, an African middle-income country, in August 2021, and analyzed its possible effects on increased notification of new cases and mortality rates in the country, as well as the health system's responsiveness to the new variant. This is particularly relevant given the country’s lack of infrastructure for the screening and surveillance of new variants, which, therefore, influence the adoption of new mitigation and control measures for COVID-19 prevention, particularly in this period of flexibilization of the most COVID-19 restrictive measures (i.e. social distance), return of tourism and schools activities in the country.
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