The Ministry of Health informs in a statement that after the continuation of samples of positive cases by the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, additional cases of Omicron mutation were identified, as part of the thorough and strict control carried out in the Republic of Cyprus in the light of the new.
The two new incidents are related to the three incidents announced yesterday, December 10, and are related to a travel history and were located in the province of Limassol. None of the five cases requires hospitalization.
According to the SARS-CoV-2 Sequence Genetic Analysis report of the Molecular Virology Laboratory of the University of Cyprus with collection dates from November 11, 2021 to December 5, 2021 in Cyprus, detailed genetic analyzes were performed on 299 SARS-CoV-2 sequences.
Ten sequences were excluded, due to insufficient sequence signal. The strain for each sample was analyzed and it was found that there were 6 (2%) sequences of the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) and 281 (97%) sequences from evolutionary subtypes of the Delta variant. The highest represented evolutionary subtypes of the Delta variant were AY.43 with 73 (25%) sequences, AY.122 with 56 (19%), and AY.4 with 49 (16%) sequences. Delta plus AY.4.2 was identified in 7 sequences, its evolutionary subset Delta plus ΑΥ.4.2.1 in 4 sequences, and the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) in 2 sequences, in this dataset.
According to the conclusions of the report, there is an appearance of the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) in 2 samples (collection date 04-12-2021). These two samples did not form a molecular cluster indicating that they are not epidemiologically related.
There is an Increase of “Delta plus” AY.4.2 (7 sequences) and an appearance of the evolutionary strain of “Delta plus” AY.4.2.1 (4 sequences).
A new emergence of the new evolutionary strain of Delta AV.122 was also identified, at a high percentage (19%).
There was a large decrease in the original Delta variant (B.1.617.2) (2% in this dataset), and a significant increase for the evolutionary subtrains of the Delta variant (97% in this dataset).
Of all the evolutionary subtypes of the Delta variant, AV.43 prevails with 73 (25%) sequences.