Filenews 11 December 2021
In the context of the thorough and rigorous testing carried out in the Republic of Cyprus in the light of the new Omikron mutation, the Ministry of Health informs that after the sequencing of samples of positive cases made by the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, additional cases with the Omikron mutation have been identified. The incidents are linked to the three incidents announced yesterday, December 10th and related to travel history and were identified in the Limassol district. None of the five cases require hospitalization.
According to the SARS-CoV-2 Sequence Genetic Analysis Report of the Laboratory of Molecular Virology of the University of Cyprus with collection dates from 11 November 2021 to 5 December 2021 in Cyprus, detailed genetic analyses were carried out in 299 SARS-CoV-2 sequences. Ten sequences were excluded, due to insufficient sequencing signal. The strain for each sample was analyzed and found to have been 6 (2%) sequences of the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) and 281 (97%) sequences from evolutionarily substaffes of the Delta variant. The highest represented evolutionary understaffs of the Delta variant were AY.43 with 73 (25%) sequences, H.122 with 56 (19%), and AY.4 with 49 (16%) sequences. Delta plus AY.4.2 was identified in 7 sequences, its evolutionary sub-sequence Delta plus AY.4.2.1 in 4 sequences, and the Omikron variant (B.1.1.529) in 2 sequences, in this dataset.
In conclusion to this report:
• Appearance of the Omikron variant (B.1.1.529) in 2 samples (collection date 04-12-2021). These two samples did not create a molecular cluster that shows that they have no epidemiological relationship with each other.
• Increase of "Delta plus" AY.4.2 (7 sequences) and appearance of evolutionary understaffing of "Delta plus" AV.4.2.1 (4 sequences).
• New appearance of the new evolutionary understaffing of Delta AV.122, at a high rate (19%).
• Large decrease of the original Delta variant (B.1.617.2) (2% in this dataset), and significant increase for the evolutionary substaffs of the Delta variant (97% in this dataset).
• Of all the evolutionary understaffs of the Delta variant, Y.43 prevails with 73 (25%) sequences.
