COVID-19 pandemic in Antarctica explained

COVID-19 pandemic in Antarctica
Map1:COVID-19 Cases in Antarctica (en).svg
Disease:COVID-19
Virus Strain:SARS-CoV-2
Location:Antarctica
First Case:Base General Bernardo O'Higgins (Chile)
Arrival Date:21 December 2020
(ago)
Origin:Wuhan, Hubei, China
Recovery Cases:226
Deaths:0
Active Cases:0
Confirmed Cases:226
Suspected Cases:1
Territories: Chilean Antarctic Territory

The COVID-19 pandemic in Antarctica is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 . Due to its remoteness and sparse population, Antarctica was the last continent to have confirmed cases of COVID-19 and was one of the last regions of the world affected directly by the pandemic.[1] [2] [3] The first cases were reported in December 2020, almost a year after the first cases of COVID-19 were detected in China. At least 36 people are confirmed to have been infected.[4] Even before the first cases on the continent were reported, human activity in Antarctica was indirectly impacted.

Background

On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan, Hubei, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.[5] [6]

The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003,[7] [8] but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.[9] [7]

Impact on scientific research

People coming to Antarctica research stations have to undergo isolation and COVID-19 screening. The Antarctica research stations of Australia, Norway and Germany have respirators and coronavirus tests; it remains unconfirmed whether the research stations of the U.S. and Britain have them. The British Antarctic Survey implemented precautionary measures.[10] The Argentine Antarctica territories had taken measures at its six permanent bases to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to the territory before the arrival of the virus.[11]

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on travel caused complications with evacuating British Antarctic Survey personnel from the continent.[12]

, bases in Antarctica contained only skeleton crews, visitors have been limited, and scientific research has been impacted.[13] Several conferences on the topic of Antarctica that had been planned for mid-2020 were cancelled due to the pandemic.[14]

Cases

In April 2020, a cruise ship headed for Antarctica had almost sixty percent of its passengers test positive for COVID-19. The cruise stopped in Uruguay, where the passengers were allowed to disembark.[15] [16] [17]

The first official cases were announced on 21 December 2020 by the government of Chile. At least 36 people, including 10 civilians and 26 officers of the Chilean Army and Chilean Navy, were confirmed as positive for COVID-19 after contracting the virus on the Base General Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme (in continental Antarctica), where they were doing scheduled maintenance work for the base. The people developed symptoms for COVID-19 aboard the Sargento Aldea ship, and most of the cases were treated after arriving to their destinations in Punta Arenas and Talcahuano.[18] [19] [20]

On 14 December 2021, a positive case was detected at the Belgian research station Princesse Elisabeth in Queen Maud Land. Further tests revealed two more cases that were subsequently evacuated on 23 December. 11 of the 30[21] people present at the station were tested positive.[22]

On 12 January 2022, 13 positive cases were detected at Esperanza Base in Argentine Antarctica. Further tests detected 11 more cases, totaling 24 positive cases.[23]

On 13 September 2022, one positive case was detected at Davis Station in Australian Antarctic Territory.[24] First unspecified case detected at port in Hobart on 10 January 2022.[25]

The first confirmed case at McMurdo Station in Ross Dependency was detected in August 2022. By November, 10% of the population of the station was confirmed to be infected. As of February 2023, a total of 175 positive cases have been detected.[26] [27] Covid also reached Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station and WAIS Divide.[28] [29]

On 8 November 2022, 20 positive cases were detected at Dumont d'Urville Station in Adélie Land. 20 of the 21 people present at the station were tested positive.[30]

Covid reached New Zealand's Scott Base, located several miles from McMurdo Station, in February 2023.[31]

Vaccination

On 18 March 2021, the Chilean Air Force announced they inoculated 49 members of their staff in Antarctica, being the first country to start vaccinating against COVID-19 in the continent.

On 7 October 2021, Astra-Zeneca vaccines arrived in Antarctica to vaccinate 23 members of staff that are working for the British Antarctic Survey in the Rothera base.[32] [33]

Statistics

Cases by territories and sites!Territory!Site!Operating country!Cases!Historical cases!Deaths!References
Adélie Land, France2800
Argentine Antarctica Argentina4200
Australian Antarctic TerritoryDavis Station, Estación Mawson, Estación Soyuz, Druzhnaya, Zhongshán, Bharati, Vostok, ,,, Australia5810
British Antarctic TerritoryRothera Research Station United Kingdom2700
Chilean Antarctic TerritoryBase General Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme, Villa Las Estrellas Chile13300[34]
Peter I IslandSandefjord Cove Norway000
Queen Maud Land,, Belgium7300
Ross DependencyMcMurdo Station, Estación Zucchelli, Base Scott United States12500
Marie Byrd LandAmundsen–Scott South Pole Station United States800
9/949410
Last update 8 February 2023.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Taylor. Adam . Pitrelli . Stefano . One continent remains untouched by the coronavirus: Antarctica. 24 March 2020. The Washington Post. 3 April 2020. 1 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200401225655/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/03/24/one-continent-remains-untouched-by-coronavirus-antarctica/. live.
  2. News: Torres . Elle . What life is like on Antarctica, the only continent without a case of coronavirus. 20 March 2020. ABC News. 3 April 2020. 1 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200401135314/https://abcnews.go.com/International/life-antarctica-continent-case-coronavirus/story?id=69716325. live.
  3. News: Agence France-Presse. Pacific islands, Antarctic bases: coronavirus-free living in some of Earth's most isolated places. 31 March 2020. South China Morning Post. 3 April 2020. 3 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200403015046/https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3077724/pacific-islands-antarctic-bases-coronavirus-free-living-some. live.
  4. Web site: 21 December 2020. Reportan brote de coronavirus en base chilena en la Antártida. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201223065428/https://www.infobae.com/america/agencias/2020/12/21/reportan-brote-de-coronavirus-en-base-chilena-en-la-antartida/. 23 December 2020. 21 December 2020. infobae. es-ES.
  5. Web site: Novel Coronavirus Information Center . Elsevier . Elsevier Connect. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200130171622/https://www.elsevier.com/connect/coronavirus-information-center. 30 January 2020. 15 March 2020.
  6. Reynolds . Matt . What is coronavirus and how close is it to becoming a pandemic? . 4 March 2020 . Wired UK. 5 March 2020 . 1357-0978. https://web.archive.org/web/20200305104806/https://www.wired.co.uk/article/china-coronavirus. 5 March 2020. live.
  7. Web site: Crunching the numbers for coronavirus . Imperial News. 13 March 2020 . 15 March 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200319084913/https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/196137/crunching-numbers-coronavirus/. 19 March 2020. live.
  8. Web site: High consequence infectious diseases (HCID); Guidance and information about high consequence infectious diseases and their management in England . GOV.UK . en. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200303051938/https://www.gov.uk/guidance/high-consequence-infectious-diseases-hcid. 3 March 2020. 17 March 2020.
  9. Web site: World Federation Of Societies of Anaesthesiologists – Coronavirus . wfsahq.org. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200312233527/https://www.wfsahq.org/resources/coronavirus. 12 March 2020. 15 March 2020.
  10. News: British Antarctic Survey response to COVID-19. 24 March 2020. British Antarctic Survey. 3 April 2020. 2 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200402232258/https://www.bas.ac.uk/media-post/british-antarctic-survey-response-to-covid-19/. live.
  11. News: Mosle . Julio . Las bases argentinas extremaron cuidados para que el Covid-19 no llegue a la Antártida . Argentine bases are extremely careful to prevent that Covid-19 does not reach Antarctica. 19 April 2021 . . 20 September 2020. Spanish.
  12. News: Coronavirus complicates journeys home from Antarctica. BBC News. Amos. Jonathan. 7 April 2020. 20 April 2020. 8 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200408133849/https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52187620. live.
  13. News: 'Isolated within isolation': keeping out coronavirus in the frozen Antarctic. Reuters. Laing. Aislinn. Garrison. Cassandra. 14 April 2020. 20 April 2020. 20 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200420055106/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-antarctica-feature/isolated-within-isolation-keeping-out-coronavirus-in-the-frozen-antarctic-idUSKCN21W2O4. live.
  14. News: International Antarctic conferences cancelled due to coronavirus. 19 March 2020. Australian Antarctic Division. 3 April 2020. 23 March 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200323025048/http://www.antarctica.gov.au/news/2020/international-antarctic-conferences-cancelled-due-to-coronavirus. live.
  15. Web site: Greg Mortimer: Uruguay evacuates Australians and New Zealanders on coronavirus-infected ship . 22 January 2021 . 23 January 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210123053059/https://www.sbs.com.au/news/greg-mortimer-uruguay-evacuates-australians-and-new-zealanders-on-coronavirus-infected-ship . live .
  16. News: Griffiths. James. Castillo. Jackie. 8 April 2020. Passengers to be evacuated from Antarctic cruise ship after almost 60% test positive for coronavirus. CNN. 20 April 2020. 17 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200417091510/https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/07/americas/greg-mortimer-cruise-ship-coronavirus-intl-hnk/index.html. live.
  17. News: Al-Arshani. Sarah. 9 April 2020. Nearly 60% of the passengers on an Antarctic cruise ship have tested positive for the coronavirus. Business Insider. 20 April 2020. 18 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200418191500/https://www.businessinsider.com/antarctic-cruise-ship-coronavirus-outbreak-2020-4. live.
  18. Web site: 21 December 2020. Antártida: 36 relevados de base chilena por COVID-19. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201222175418/https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/Ant-rtida-36-relevados-de-base-chilena-por-15820227.php. 22 December 2020. 21 December 2020. ExpressNews.com. en-US. Associated Press.
  19. News: Díaz Montero. Felipe. 17 December 2020. Posible brote COVID enciende alarmas de base chilena en Antártica tras visita de buque de la Armada. Bío Bío Chile. live. 21 December 2020. 17 December 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201217155458/https://www.biobiochile.cl/noticias/nacional/region-de-magallanes/2020/12/17/posible-brote-covid-enciende-alarmas-de-base-chilena-en-antartica-tras-visita-de-buque-de-la-armada.shtml.
  20. Web site: El coronavirus llegó a la Antártida; base militar chilena registra 58 casos. 23 December 2020. El Financiero. 22 December 2020 . es. 23 December 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201223202940/https://elfinanciero.com.mx/mundo/el-coronavirus-llego-a-la-antartida-base-militar-chilena-registra-58-casos. live.
  21. Andreas Frei: Wie Corona in die Antarktis kam – und was dabei optimistisch stimmt. Tages-Anzeiger, 5 January 2022, retrieved 6 January 2022.
  22. Web site: 2021-12-28. Le Covid s'invite à la station polaire Princesse Elisabeth. 2022-01-01. RTBF Info. fr.
  23. Web site: Evacúan una base argentina en la Antártida tras 24 casos de Covid-19. 2022-01-21. www.ambito.com.
  24. Web site: COVID-19 and the AAP: Information for expeditioners . 2022-09-13 . antarctica.gov.au.
  25. Web site: Covid-19 scuppers Australian Antarctic research trip. 2022-01-10. Research Professional News. 10 January 2022 .
  26. Web site: Information from NSF on Coronavirus | National Science Foundation .
  27. Web site: Antarctica's biggest Covid outbreak yet puts US station McMurdo on pause . . 8 November 2022 .
  28. Web site: NSF Response to Covid cases at McMurdo station Antarctica . 2022-11-05 . NSF - National Science Foundation . 4 November 2022 . en.
  29. Web site: At one of Earth's most remote research stations, Covid is still a problem . 2022-11-05 . NBC News . 4 November 2022 . en.
  30. Web site: Antarctique : 20 des 21 occupants de la base française Dumont d'Urville sont positifs au Covid-19. 2022-11-08. Le Parisien. 8 November 2022 . fr.
  31. Web site: COVID at Scott Base .
  32. News: 2021-10-07. AstraZeneca Covid vaccine arrives in Antarctica. en-GB. BBC News. 2021-10-10.
  33. Web site: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office UK. 7 October 2021. Tweet about British Antarctic Survey Vaccines. live. 2021-10-10. Twitter. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20211007075046/https://twitter.com/FCDOGovUK/status/1446020141230268419 . 7 October 2021 .
  34. Web site: Situación Nacional de COVID-19 en Chile. 2022-02-12. Gobierno de Chile. es.

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