Omicron, Testing with Diagnostic Kits from Today... Deployment to Screening Clinics Not Yet

On the afternoon of the 29th, a facility official at the Daejeon Health and Environment Research Institute in Guseong-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, is verifying reagents after securing a diagnostic kit that detects the COVID-19 Omicron variant.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] One month after the first domestic case of Omicron variant infection was discovered, the Omicron variant PCR reagent developed in Korea has begun to be used for testing. As a result, the testing time has been significantly reduced from the previous 3 to 5 days to 3 to 4 hours, but it is still not being utilized at frontline screening clinics. There are concerns that this is insufficient for quickly grasping the spread of Omicron.

According to the quarantine authorities on the 30th, the Omicron diagnostic kit, which was introduced for the first time in the world, will be used from this day at 23 public institutions nationwide (5 regional response centers and 18 city/provincial health and environment research institutes). The previous analysis method could only identify four variants including Delta, and confirming Omicron required additional whole genome sequencing, but with this diagnostic kit, it is possible to confirm Omicron infection within 3 to 4 hours after a COVID-19 positive diagnosis.

Not yet introduced at screening clinics... "Need to increase field adoption"

However, the Omicron variant diagnostic kit is used mainly at testing and analysis institutions rather than frontline screening clinics. The quarantine authorities plan to prioritize its use for comprehensive investigation of overseas-imported COVID-19 cases or epidemiologically related cases confirmed to have contact with Omicron-infected individuals.

A representative from the Central Disease Control Headquarters explained, "This reagent is not used for Omicron diagnostic testing at general screening clinics," adding, "Screening clinics only determine COVID-19 infection status as positive or negative using the existing PCR test, and rapid PCR analysis for Omicron variants is conducted at the 23 testing and analysis institutions."

Experts have pointed out the need to quickly introduce it to frontline sites as well. Professor Jung Jaehoon of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Gachon University said, "It is very good that the diagnostic kit has been introduced and related countermeasures are in place," but added, "Since social distancing, epidemiological investigation tracking, and blocking overseas inflow must be implemented in combination to effectively curb the spread of the Omicron variant, the introduction of Omicron diagnostic kits at screening clinics should be gradually increased in the long term."

"Dominant strain shift in January... Need for Omicron-tailored quarantine system"

As of midnight on this day, 67 new domestic Omicron infection cases were added, bringing the cumulative total to 625. Among them, 26 are domestic infections and the remaining 41 are imported cases. The fact that Omicron cases with unknown infection routes are appearing in the community, indicating 'n-th generation transmission,' is a cause for concern. This is why there are calls for the urgent establishment of a quarantine system specialized for the Omicron variant. Masanghyuk, Vice President of the Korean Vaccine Society, emphasized, "The shift to a dominant strain is inevitable, and it appears that it has already spread considerably in the community," adding, "Currently, about 30 home treatment centers are prepared nationwide, but if confirmed cases surge, this level of response will be absolutely insufficient."

Some adjustments to the 'entry ban on foreign nationals' to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant are also inevitable. The Central Disease Control Headquarters currently restricts entry of short-term foreign visitors from 11 African countries, but among the 41 imported infection cases on this day, 24 were arrivals from the United States.

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