Variant Virus, No Longer Someone Else's Problem

449 Confirmed Cases of 'Major 3 Variants'
914 Cases Including Epidemiologically Linked

Total 1,235 Cases Including Other Variants

On the 20th, overseas arrivals are moving along the quarantine route at the Arrival Hall of Terminal 1, Incheon International Airport. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] As the number of confirmed cases of the three major COVID-19 variants from the UK, South Africa, and Brazil reaches 449, the total number of variant cases has surpassed 1,000 when including epidemiologically related cases and other variant confirmations.

In particular, since most of the epidemiologically related variant cases are local infections and new other variant cases beyond the three major variants are being confirmed one after another, it is pointed out that this could become the biggest variable in the '4th wave' of the pandemic.

'Officially Confirmed' Cases Total 449... 'Effectively' Nearly 1,000 When Including Infections

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) Central Disease Control Headquarters, as of the 20th, the officially recorded number of COVID-19 variant cases is 449. This includes 388 cases from the UK, 51 from South Africa, and 10 from Brazil. Among these, last week's 70 cases showed a significant increase compared to the previous week's 49, indicating a faster infection rate.

This figure counts only patients whose variant infection was confirmed through genomic analysis. The authorities stated that when adding 465 epidemiologically related cases to the 449 confirmed variant cases, a total of 914 domestic variant virus cases have been identified in South Korea. This means that the number of major three-variant infections introduced into the country is effectively approaching 1,000.

By type of epidemiologically related cases, except for 4 Brazilian variant cases confirmed during self-quarantine, all 461 cases are related to the UK variant. Among these, 447 are domestic infections and 14 are imported. Notably, the number of variant infections from contact with confirmed cases is 153 confirmed variant cases, but epidemiologically related cases reach 442, which is three times higher.

Jung Eun-kyung, Commissioner of the KDCA, explained the day before, "Because they were exposed to the same source of infection, even if they were not tested, there is a high possibility that they have the variant virus, and we are managing cases by considering them as variant virus infections." In fact, among the 21 UK variant cases confirmed at a university in Wanju-gun, Jeonbuk Province, variant testing was conducted on only 4 individuals.

Although suspicions may arise that the authorities are limiting variant testing to reduce the number of detected variant viruses, the authorities explain that this is more of a desperate measure due to limitations in genetic variant analysis capabilities.

Currently, the 'whole genome sequencing' method, which examines the entire virus, is used to detect variant viruses. This analysis takes about a week. Recently, partial genome analysis methods have also been utilized for faster analysis, but as of March, only 52.2% of imported confirmed cases and 16.9% of domestic cases have been analyzed.

Commissioner Jung said, "To test more subjects with limited genetic variant analysis capacity, it is unnecessary to analyze the entire group. We confirm variant status through analysis of initial representative cases and classify the rest as epidemiologically related cases for counting."

'Not Just the Three Major Variants'... 312 Other Variant Cases and 9 Indian 'Double Variant' Cases

Citizens of Mumbai, India, sat closely together along the promenade of Marine Drive on the 5th (local time). [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

However, recently, other variants beyond the three major ones have been increasingly confirmed, raising the risk associated with variants. As of this date, 312 cases have been identified: 294 California-type from the US, 6 New York-type from the US, 7 UK/Nigerian-type, and 5 Philippine-type. The total number of variant confirmed cases has already exceeded 1,200. Additionally, 9 cases of the Indian variant, known as a 'double variant' that may weaken the effectiveness of existing vaccines and treatments, have been confirmed entering the country.

Furthermore, among the confirmed cases of the three major variants, 19 are still under investigation for their infection routes. Due to significant concerns about unclear infection routes, there are calls to strengthen testing capabilities. Professor Kim Woo-joo of the Infectious Diseases Department at Korea University Guro Hospital stated, "Variants are occurring nationwide, and cases with unknown infection routes are appearing, so the 4th wave could be a qualitatively worse epidemic than the 3rd wave. Testing for variants should be actively expanded not only for cluster infections but also for individual infections and cases with unknown infection routes."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.