COVID-19 pandemic in Antarctica

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COVID-19 pandemic in Antarctica
Chilean Antarctica in Antarctica.svg
DiseaseCOVID-19
Virus strainSARS-CoV-2
LocationAntarctica
First outbreakWuhan, Hubei, China
Index caseBase General Bernardo O'Higgins, Chilean Antarctic Territory
Arrival date21 December 2020
(1 week and 6 days ago)
Confirmed cases58
Active cases58
Part of a series on the
COVID-19 pandemic
SARS-CoV-2 without background.png
SARS-CoV-2 (Wikimedia colors).svg COVID-19 Portal

The COVID-19 pandemic in Antarctica is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-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.[4] Even before the first cases on the continent were reported, human activity in Antarctica was indirectly impacted.

Background[edit]

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[edit]

People coming to Antarctica research stations have to undergo isolation and COVID-19 screening.[1] The Antarctica research stations of Australia, Norway and Germany have respirators and Covid tests; it remains unconfirmed whether the research stations of the U.S. and Britain have them.[1] The British Antarctic Survey implemented precautionary measures.[10]

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on travel caused complications with evacuating British Antarctic Survey personnel from the continent.[11]

As of 14 April 2020, bases in Antarctica contain only skeleton crews, visitors have been limited, and scientific research has been impacted.[12] Several conferences on the topic of Antarctica that had been planned for mid-2020 were cancelled due to the pandemic.[13]

Cases[edit]

COVID-19 cases in Antarctica  (
)
     Deaths        Recoveries        Active cases

Dec Dec Last 15 days Last 15 days

Date
# of cases
# of deaths
2020-12-21
​
 36(n.a.)
⋮
​
 36(=)
2020-12-24
​
 58(+61%)
Cumulative cases reported in Antarctica to date.
Sources: Official statement by the Chilean Navy
View of the Base General Bernardo O'Higgins, where the first cases of COVID-19 in Antarctica where reported.

In April 2020, a cruise ship headed for Antarctica had almost sixty percent of its passengers test positive for COVID-19. The cruise was detained in Uruguay, where the passengers were not allowed to disembark.[14][15]

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.[4][16][17][18]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Taylor, Adam; Pitrelli, Stefano (March 24, 2020). "One continent remains untouched by the coronavirus: Antarctica". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  2. ^ Torres, Elle (March 20, 2020). "What life is like on Antarctica, the only continent without a case of coronavirus". ABC News. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  3. ^ Agence France-Presse (March 31, 2020). "Pacific islands, Antarctic bases: coronavirus-free living in some of Earth's most isolated places". South China Morning Post. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Reportan brote de coronavirus en base chilena en la Antártida". infobae (in Spanish). 2020-12-21. Retrieved 2020-12-21.
  5. ^ Elsevier. "Novel Coronavirus Information Center". Elsevier Connect. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  6. ^ Reynolds, Matt (4 March 2020). "What is coronavirus and how close is it to becoming a pandemic?". Wired UK. ISSN 1357-0978. Archived from the original on 5 March 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  7. ^ a b "Crunching the numbers for coronavirus". Imperial News. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  8. ^ "High consequence infectious diseases (HCID); Guidance and information about high consequence infectious diseases and their management in England". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 3 March 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  9. ^ "World Federation Of Societies of Anaesthesiologists – Coronavirus". www.wfsahq.org. Archived from the original on 12 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  10. ^ "British Antarctic Survey response to COVID-19". British Antarctic Survey. March 24, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  11. ^ Amos, Jonathan (7 April 2020). "Coronavirus complicates journeys home from Antarctica". BBC News. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  12. ^ Laing, Aislinn; Garrison, Cassandra (April 14, 2020). "'Isolated within isolation': keeping out coronavirus in the frozen Antarctic". Reuters. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  13. ^ "International Antarctic conferences cancelled due to coronavirus". Australian Antarctic Division. March 19, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  14. ^ Griffiths, James; Castillo, Jackie (April 8, 2020). "Passengers to be evacuated from Antarctic cruise ship after almost 60% test positive for coronavirus". CNN. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  15. ^ Al-Arshani, Sarah (April 9, 2020). "Nearly 60% of the passengers on an Antarctic cruise ship have tested positive for the coronavirus". Business Insider. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  16. ^ "Antártida: 36 relevados de base chilena por COVID-19". ExpressNews.com. Associated Press. 2020-12-21. Retrieved 2020-12-21.
  17. ^ Díaz Montero, Felipe (2020-12-17). "Posible brote COVID enciende alarmas de base chilena en Antártica tras visita de buque de la Armada". Bío Bío Chile. Retrieved 2020-12-21.
  18. ^ "El coronavirus llegó a la Antártida; base militar chilena registra 58 casos". El Financiero (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-12-23.

External links[edit]

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