Incubations behind closed doors. As the British newspaper The Guardian10% of the employees of the American McMurdo station, the largest base in Antarctica, have been contaminated in recent weeks by Covid-19. In fact, the United States has stopped the arrival of new occupants to limit the spread of the virus.
In fact, the National Science Foundation (NSF) said it had identified 98 positive tests since the beginning of October, all from a total population of 993 people. There are currently 64 confirmed cases, of which “most have mild symptoms and self-isolate in their rooms.”
“Based on recommendations from our expert epidemiologist, the administration is moving to reduce population density to reduce transmission risks,” the agency said in a statement.
Several clusters in Antarctica
The appearance of this cluster continues to be problematic, beyond the health problems that the coronavirus may cause. At this time of year, the various stations located in Antarctica are hosting their maximum capacity of scientists, for the first time since the start of Covid-19. They remain several months at the site for investigation.
This is not the first time that Antarctica has been affected by the coronavirus. In 2020, around 40 cases had been detected at a Chilean base while 11 of the 30 occupants of the Belgian Princess Elisabeth research station had been affected. Last cluster: in January 2022, when 24 cases were registered in the Argentine Esperanza research base.
Source: BFM TV
