Despite being completely vaccinated and based in one of the world's most remote places, a Belgian scientific research outpost in Antarctica is suffering from an outbreak of COVID-19.
At least 16 of the 25 personnel at the Princess Elisabeth Polar Station have contracted the illness since Dec. 14.
All of the station's staff are in mild condition and have received at least two doses of the coronavirus vaccine.
The first case, with three infections, was discovered on Dec. 13. The infection spread across the station despite the fact that the three were relocated on Dec. 23. It is outfitted with two emergency physicians and all of the required equipment to treat virus-caused disease, as well as the ability to analyze PCR tests.
This appears to be Antarctica's second COVID-19 outbreak. The coronavirus pandemic arrived on the continent for the first time in December 2020. Chile confirmed that 58 persons tested positive for the virus at military stations in Antarctica or on a navy ship that visited the continent.
The cause of the outbreak was traced to the Sargento Aldea, a Chilean navy support vessel that docked at the base in early December on a resupply mission, according to officials. Several crew members, out of a total of 208, tested positive after the ship returned to Chile's mainland. The whole crew has been confined on board, according to officials.
Before the ship left for Antarctica, the entire crew was subjected to swab tests, which all came back negative, according to the Chilean navy.
All non-essential personnel at O'Higgins have been airlifted back to Chile, according to the Chilean Army. At any given time, the base is thought to be able to house roughly 50-60 people.
All of the cases, according to the spokesman, had been isolated at the facility, which is one of 13 Chilean sites in Antarctica out of a total of 70 multinational research bases at the South Pole, including five British stations.
To prevent the sickness from spreading, all communication between multinational bases has been prohibited for the duration of the pandemic.
These 16 new cases in Antarctica represent a minuscule proportion of the recent spike in coronavirus cases, which has been predominantly driven by the omicron variety. The Johns Hopkins COVID-19 data tracking project has recorded approximately 24 million cases worldwide over the last few weeks.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reduced the quarantine and isolation requirements for anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 or has been exposed to it.
If you test positive for COVID-19 but are asymptomatic, the CDC recommends a five-day isolation period. If you're completely vaccinated, including a booster shot if needed, you won't need to quarantine if you come into contact with someone who tests positive as long as you're not symptomatic.
