KUCHING: A total of 780 additional Variants of Concern (VOC) had been detected from 782 Covid-19 positive cases sequenced as of October 8 in the state.
According to the Institute of Health and Community Medicine (IHCM), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), all the VOCs were of the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant.
IHCM director Professor Dr. David Perera disclosed this in his latest report to Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah yesterday.
The institute has been assisting the committee in tracking the SARS-CoV-2 variants that have been circulating in the state.
Prof. Perera stated that the analysis of the Delta variant indicated that the AY.23 sub-lineage was a dominant circulating Delta lineage in Sarawak.
“Other Delta sub-lineages detected sporadically include the AY.24 (one case each in Kuching, Miri and Sibu); AY.33 (one case in Bintulu); AY.34 (one case in Samarahan and two cases in Bintulu) and the AY.37 (two cases in Kuching).
“The AY.23 sub- lineage is also the current dominant circulating Delta lineage driving the current outbreak in Singapore,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Perera said the World Health Organisation (WHO) had recently revised the SARS-CoV-2 variant classification list to reflect the current risk profile of these variants.
“All previously listed ‘Variant of Interest’ (VoI) and some ‘Variant of Concern’ (VoC) have now been re-classified as ‘Variants Being Monitored’ (VBM).
“Currently, the Delta Variant is the only member in the VOC list,” he added.
