Government Confirms First Domestic Case of India-Origin 'Double Variant'... 9 Cases So Far (Summary)

"2 Confirmed Cases Last Month, 7 This Month... All Entered Directly from India"

Son Young-rae, Head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] Regarding the India-origin COVID-19 'double mutant virus' (official name B.1.617), the first case of infection with this mutant virus has been confirmed domestically.

Son Youngrae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH), stated at a regular briefing on the 18th, "Since January this year, a total of 94 confirmed cases have entered the country from India, among which 9 cases were confirmed as the Indian variant."

Of the 9 infected with the India-origin variant, 2 were confirmed last month and 7 this month. All of them were confirmed to have entered the country directly from India without any transit stops.

Son said, "Currently, information on the transmissibility or fatality rate of the Indian variant is uncertain, so the World Health Organization (WHO) has not yet classified it as a major or other variant."

He added, "Since the WHO does not currently classify it as a major variant, we are continuously monitoring the situation and observing the trends together."

The quarantine authorities officially confirmed that the Indian variant identified this time is a 'double mutant.' The double mutant virus refers to a virus that possesses two types of mutations simultaneously.

The Indian Ministry of Health previously announced on the 25th of last month that a double mutant was found in samples collected from the western state of Maharashtra, where the mutant viruses E484Q and L452R appeared together.

There are concerns that the Indian double mutant may reduce the effectiveness of currently developed vaccines or monoclonal antibody treatments.

In this regard, the Central Disease Control Headquarters stated, "The Indian variant includes mutations E484Q, L452R, and P681R. Considering the mutation at position 484 found in the South African and Brazilian variants, a reduction in vaccine or monoclonal antibody (treatment) effectiveness is expected," adding, "Research is ongoing due to the lack of precise information."

The Disease Control Headquarters explained, "Currently, this variant virus has been identified not only in India but also in Australia, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and New Zealand," and "South Korea is operating a genome analysis system capable of confirming this variant and is monitoring it."