The Department of Medical Sciences (DMS) reports that the government is keeping a close watch on new variants of the COVID-19 virus, in particular the strains which were first detected in India and South Africa.
DMS Director-General Dr. Supakit Sirilak said the department is racing to complete the genetic sequencing of new cases, to monitor the progression of the nation’s outbreak.
He said the B.1.1.7 variant, or the Alpha strain, which was first detected in the United Kingdom, is responsible for the bulk of the infections in Thailand. About 90% of cases in the current wave were caused by the Alpha variant, based on the department’s genetic sequencing of 3,964 cases. Another variant, Delta, which was first found in India, has recently emerged and infected over 230 people.
According to Dr. Supakit, genome sequencing and genomic surveillance play an important role in preventing the coronavirus from spreading, but not every country has the capacity to carry out the tests involved. As Alpha is the dominant variant in Thailand, the department is working to contain it. (NNT)
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