Genome sequencing finds 3 COVID-19 variants in Taiwan
ROC Central News Agency
07/09/2021 08:31 PM
Taipei, July 9 (CNA) Genome sequencing conducted by the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) has identified three variants of the COVID-19 virus imported into Taiwan, officials said Friday.
The CECC started testing all imported cases for specific variants from July 2, and since that time has found one Alpha, three Delta and one Gamma variant cases out of a total of 16 imported COVID-19 cases confirmed since that date, according to CECC official Lo Yi-chun (羅一鈞).
The CECC was only able to detect variants in the five patients who carried a higher level of the viruses -- or those with a cycle threshold (CT) value of lower than 27 -- Lo explained.
Another case, with a CT value of 22, remains under examination, while none of the remaining 10 cases provided significant results about the nature of their viruses, CECC data showed.
The Alpha variant was found in a Taiwanese national in her 50s, who returned to Taiwan from Cambodia on July 2, Lo said.
The Delta variants came from a Taiwanese teenager, who arrived in Taiwan from the United Kingdom on June 30, as well as two Taiwanese nationals in their 30s, who returned to Taiwan from Indonesia on June 30 and July 3, respectively.
The patients were identified when they were in collective quarantine, which means there are no concerns over the possibility of community spread, Lo said.
The CECC found the Gamma variant in a Taiwanese national in his teens, who returned to Taiwan from the United States on July 4, he said, adding that it is not the first Gamma variant case identified in Taiwan.
(By Chang Ming-hsuan and Lee Hsin-Yin)
Enditem/AW
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