98.5% of Confirmed Cases Are Delta Variant... 81.5% Even in Breakthrough Infections

On the 15th, as the spread of COVID-19 intensifies mainly in the metropolitan area, the temporary screening clinic set up at Seoul Station Plaza is crowded with citizens. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] The COVID-19 Delta variant has recently accounted for virtually the majority of confirmed cases in South Korea.

Lee Sang-won, head of the Epidemiological Investigation and Analysis Team at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters for COVID-19, stated at a regular briefing on the 15th, "The detection rate of major variant viruses in the country over the past week was 98.8%, with the Delta variant detection rate at 98.5%."

Out of 3,301 domestic confirmed infection cases analyzed, the Delta variant was detected in 3,250 cases, meaning that most of the COVID-19 viruses currently circulating in South Korea are the Delta variant. This marks a rapid change in the situation compared to the fourth week of June, when only 196 out of 642 analyzed cases (30.5%) showed major variants, and only 21 cases (3.3%) were identified as the Delta variant, all within less than three months.

As the Delta variant, known to have higher transmissibility, severity, and fatality rates than the original COVID-19 virus or other variants, spreads, the number of 'breakthrough infection suspected' cases?where individuals test positive for COVID-19 despite being 14 days past full vaccination?is continuously increasing.

As of the 6th, a total of 4,731 suspected breakthrough infection cases have been confirmed, which is about 0.041% compared to 11,577,080 fully vaccinated individuals. While there were only 2 suspected breakthrough cases in April, 4,450 cases have been confirmed since July, showing a rapid increase.

Among suspected breakthrough infection cases, the proportion of the Delta variant was the highest. Of the 1,367 cases where variant virus analysis was completed, 1,147 cases (83.9%) showed major variants, with the Delta variant accounting for the majority at 1,114 cases.

The incidence rate of suspected breakthrough infection cases per 100,000 vaccinated individuals by vaccine type was highest for Janssen at 149.2 cases, followed by AstraZeneca (AZ) at 33.9 cases, Pfizer at 27.5 cases, and Moderna at 15.9 cases. Among those who received a heterologous vaccination?AZ for the first dose and Pfizer for the second?the breakthrough infection rate was 21.4 cases per 100,000 individuals.

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