More infectious COVID-19 variant, GH clade, is also found in S. Korea
- 4 years ago
국내 유행 코로나19 바이러스는 '전파력 6배 높다'는 GH형
A new variant of COVID-19 that's currently sweeping the world...especially in Europe and Africa...has also been detected in South Korea.
The variant is more infectious and is also linked to the recent cluster infections in the city of Gwangju.
Kim Sung-min reports.
The recent COVID-19 cluster infections in South Korea have mostly been found to come from the so-called GH genetic strain.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted gene sequencing on around 5-hundred COVID-19 patients and well over half were tied to the GH clade.
"We are announcing the outcome of our gene sequencing. There have been 3-hundred-33 cases of the GH group."
The GH clade mutated from the early clade of COVID-19, which raged across Asia, starting in Wuhan.
Now, most of the recent cases around Europe, the Americas and Africa are linked to the GH clade, which is six times more infectious than the original strain.
With such highly infectious characteristics, the KCDC has been trying to figure out whether the clade was responsible for the recent cluster infections in the country, especially in Gwangju.
Of the 24 local cases reported in the country on Monday, almost a third of them were from the southwestern city.
"Top epidemiologists have been saying the cluster infections in Gwangju are moving faster than the cases we saw in Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do Province..."
The studies show most of the recently confirmed cases...and 100-percent of those from Gwangju and Daejeon... were tied to the GH clade.
The GH strain has also been found in cases from other cluster infections in South Korea, including the so-called Itaewon cluster.
The government says the virus carried by foreign visitors who entered South Korea during March and April seems to be the leading cause of the current infections in the country.
Kim Sung-min, Arirang News.
A new variant of COVID-19 that's currently sweeping the world...especially in Europe and Africa...has also been detected in South Korea.
The variant is more infectious and is also linked to the recent cluster infections in the city of Gwangju.
Kim Sung-min reports.
The recent COVID-19 cluster infections in South Korea have mostly been found to come from the so-called GH genetic strain.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted gene sequencing on around 5-hundred COVID-19 patients and well over half were tied to the GH clade.
"We are announcing the outcome of our gene sequencing. There have been 3-hundred-33 cases of the GH group."
The GH clade mutated from the early clade of COVID-19, which raged across Asia, starting in Wuhan.
Now, most of the recent cases around Europe, the Americas and Africa are linked to the GH clade, which is six times more infectious than the original strain.
With such highly infectious characteristics, the KCDC has been trying to figure out whether the clade was responsible for the recent cluster infections in the country, especially in Gwangju.
Of the 24 local cases reported in the country on Monday, almost a third of them were from the southwestern city.
"Top epidemiologists have been saying the cluster infections in Gwangju are moving faster than the cases we saw in Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do Province..."
The studies show most of the recently confirmed cases...and 100-percent of those from Gwangju and Daejeon... were tied to the GH clade.
The GH strain has also been found in cases from other cluster infections in South Korea, including the so-called Itaewon cluster.
The government says the virus carried by foreign visitors who entered South Korea during March and April seems to be the leading cause of the current infections in the country.
Kim Sung-min, Arirang News.