The Ómicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus already accounts for 93.2% infections in Portugal, as a result of "rapid growth" in December.

According to the estimate made Tuesday by INSA, by January 3, Omicron had already reached a frequency of 89.6% of the cases of infections recorded in that country.

"Since December 6, there has been a high growth in the proportion of probable cases of the Ómicron variant, having reached an estimated proportion of 93.2% on January 10," says the report by the National Health Institute Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA) on the genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 quoted by Lusa.

For the institute that monitors the evolution of this coronavirus in Portugal, the "abrupt increase in community circulation" of Omicron has parallels with the scenario observed in countries like the UK and Denmark.

According to INSA, this variant was first detected in Portugal during the week of November 22 to 28, and experienced a "galloping growth in circulation during the month of December."

"The sequencing data also show considerable regional heterogeneity," indicating that the number and timing of introductions, as well as the onset of broader community circulation, occurred differently in the various regions of the country.

"In fact, the community circulation of the Omicron variant occurred early and more intensely in the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region, becoming dominant about one to two weeks earlier than in the other regions," the report advanced.

As for Delta, which was the predominant variant in Portugal for several months, "it has been decreasing its relative frequency since the week of November 22-28 as a result of the sharp increase in circulation of the Omicron variant.

"Among the various Delta variant sublines still in circulation, the AY.4.2 strain stands out, which, during the week of December 27, 2021 to January 2, 2022, still had considerable circulation in the Algarve," INSA also said.

As part of the ongoing monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 genetic diversity, an average of 527 sequences per week have been analyzed since the beginning of June 2021.

These sequences were obtained from samples randomly collected in laboratories distributed over the 18 districts of continental Portugal and the autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira, covering an average of 132 counties per week.

In Portugal, since March 2020, 19,161 people have died and 1,693,398 cases of infection have been counted, according to the latest update from the Directorate-General of Health.