Major Variants Increase by 1,001 in One Week... 7 out of 10 Cases Are 'Delta Variant' (Update)

Last Week's Major Variant Detection Rate Approaches 50%
Delta Variant Cases: 21→52→250→719

The momentum of the 4th wave of COVID-19 is intensifying. While around 1,000 patients are being reported in the metropolitan area, the number of confirmed cases in non-metropolitan regions has also risen to the 400s, showing signs of nationwide spread. On the 16th, the domestic terminal at Gimpo Airport in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, was bustling with travelers. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] In the past week (June 11?17), 1,001 domestic COVID-19 confirmed cases were identified as infections with major variant viruses. In particular, the India-originated 'Delta variant,' which has a stronger transmissibility, accounted for 719 cases, showing a rapid spread.

Jung Eun-kyung, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), stated at the COVID-19 regular briefing on the 19th, "The detection rate of major variant viruses among domestic confirmed cases in the past week was 47.1%, an increase of 10.2 percentage points compared to the previous week. Among them, the detection rate of the Delta variant increased by 10.6%, accounting for 33.9%."

The proportion of major variants detected among analyzed cases for variant virus infection in domestic confirmed cases over the past week (variant detection rate) is approaching 50%. Nearly half of all analyzed cases were confirmed as variant infections. The variant detection rate had been in the 30% range from the third week of last month to the first week of this month but rose significantly last week.

Among the newly confirmed 1,001 variant infection cases, 719 were Delta variant cases. This means that 7 out of 10 variant-confirmed cases last week were Delta variants. The Delta variant has recently shown an even steeper spread. The number of Delta variant cases, which was only 17 in the third week of June, has surged weekly to 21, 52, 250, and 719 cases.

Among the four major variants, the proportion of the Delta variant has overwhelmingly increased, followed by 282 cases of the UK-originated Alpha variant. No Beta or Gamma variant cases were confirmed.

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