During the II Workshop on the Exchange of Genomic Surveillance Protocols and Communication Strategies, which began this Monday in the coastal city of Guayaquil, representatives of scientific institutions explained that with the shared data, governments will be able to make important decisions to manage various epidemiological situations , which may occur with the occurrence of this climatic event.
The coordinator of the Genomic Surveillance Project of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19, Walter Vigo, explained that the information will be shared through a platform that will be ready next December, which will cost 1.2 million dollars and is financed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
Ecuadorian health authorities said the Andean country will face outbreaks of dengue, cholera, leptospirosis, chikungunya, Zika and malaria, among others, due to the storm.
Participants at the event, which runs through Wednesday, recognized that the ability to analyze and share genomic information in real time is critical for early identification of viral variants.
This Monday, the Emergency Operations Committee (COE) changed the alert status in Ecuador from yellow to orange due to the impending arrival of the El Niño phenomenon.
During a press conference, COE leaders explained that the decision was in response to the inevitable presence of the meteorological event on Ecuadorian soil, although its extent cannot yet be determined and when it will begin to rain.
The Minister of Risk Management, Cristian Torres, explained that with the measure, ministries, prefectures, municipalities and parish councils will be able to intensify their preventive measures with the tools and techniques provided, allowing them to draw up action plans in each territory.
For his part, the Secretary of the Interior and President of the COE, Juan Zapata, explained that the parameters for changing the alert are based on the fact that the 67% probability of the occurrence of El Niño has already been met.
npg/nta