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KMID : 1143420210140181099
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Public Health Weekly Report
2021 Volume.14 No. 18 p.1099 ~ p.1118
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Update: Current status and Characteristics of Variant Virus Outbreak in Korea in March 2021
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Kim Il-Hwan
Park Ae-Kyung
Kim Heui-Man
Lee Hyeok-Jin
Rhee Jee-Eun
Kim Eun-Jin
Kim Ji-A
Park Su-Bin
Gwack Jin
Kim Seung-Jin
Kim Young-Man
Lee Sang-Eun
Park Young-Joon
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Abstract
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Regarding the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Korea, the government intends to evaluate the domestic situation and respond to variant viruses by checking current status, dynamics, and the clinical characteristics of the COVID-19 on a monthly basis. COVID-19 virus variant surveillance was conducted through full-length genome analysis and spike protein gene analysis for positive samples of confirmed cases related to various domestic outbreaks and imported cases.
The epidemiological and clinical characteristics were analyzed using initial and in-depth epidemiological investigation results reported through the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s (KDCA) COVID-19 information management system; the information system for managing confirmed patients (HIRAe), wired monitoring. Clinical characteristics such as severity and the occurred of group cases were analyzed.
Among the number of confirmed cases during the March (13,288), 12.0% of isolates (1,589) was laboratory tested for
identification of variants of SARS-CoV-2. A total of 113 accounting for 7.1% of the tested were confirmed as Variants of Concern (VOC). The rate of sequenced isolates of March were increased by 33% compared to that of Feburary. On the other hand, the detection rate of VOCs of March were decreased by 4.3% compared to that of February.
A total of 330 patients of Variants of Concern (VOCs) have been confirmed in Korea to April 5, 2021. The 330 VOC cases were divided into three groups: 501Y.V1, 501Y.V2 and 501Y.V3. 280 cases (84.9%) having the 501Y.V1, 42 cases (12.7%) having the 501Y. V2 (VOC originating from the South Africa), and 8 cases (2.4%) having the 501Y.V3 (VOC originating from the Brazil). Among the 330 cases, there were 204 imported cases (61.8%). The patients’ average age was 38.1, By age group, people aged 71 cases (21.5%) each in their 20s, 30s. 233 cases (70.6%) were Korean nationals. 192 cases (58.2%) were symptomatic at diagnosis, 69 cases (20.9%) was mild respiratory symptoms with fever. Most symptoms of VOC patients in Korea were mild, but 9 of the 501Y. V1 (VOC originating from the UK), and 1 of the 501Y.V2 (VOC originating from the South Africa) patients were severe/critical (including one death). The rate of severe/critical symptoms was 3.0%, and the fatality rate was 0.3%. A total of 7 VOCs-related group cases were confirmed in March 2021, with 153 confirmed cases (32 laboratory confirmed cases, 121 epidemiological cases) lower than February 910 group cases, 195 confirmed cases [65 Laboratory confirmed cases, 130 epidemiological cases]). There were a total of 19 VOCs-related group cases and 394 confirmed cases (117 laboratory confirmed cases and 277 epidemiological related cases). By gender, there were 223 male cases (56.6%) and 78 female cases (19.8%) aged 20-29 years, and 128 (32.5%) cases were reported in Gyeonggi Province, followed by 120 cases (30.5%) reported in Ulsan Metropolitan City.
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KEYWORD
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Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19), Variant Of Concern (VOC), Variant of Interest (VOI), Whole Genome Sequencing, Clinical characteristic, Group cases
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