863 worrisome COVID-19 cases in Romania, most involving UK variant

Romania's National Public Health Institute (INSP) informs that, as of April 11, 863 worrisome COVID-19 cases were confirmed in the country.

Of these, 857 cases involved the UK variant (B.1.1.7); four involving the South Africa variant (B.1.351), and two involving the Brazil variant (P.1).

According to INSP, one case in Suceava County has been confirmed with lineage B.1.1.7 in which the E484K mutation was detected. That is not itself a new variant, but a mutation that was initially identified in the South Africa variant (B.1.351), then the Brazil B.1.1.28 (different from VOC B.1.351) and, more recently the UK one (B.1.1.7). The mutation is in the spike protein and appears to have an impact on the body's immune response and possibly on its effectiveness in reducing vaccine efficacy.

As of April 11, a number of 1,373 sequencers were reported to INSP - CNSCBT.

The six laboratories that have reported these results are the Cantacuzino Institute, the Matei Bals Institute, MedLife, the Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava, the Stefan S. Nicolau Institute of Virology and the Regional Medical Genetics Centre of the Craiova Emergency Hospital.

Thus, according to INSP, as of April 11, the confirmation rate of SARS-CoV-2 variants that causes concern was 63%.

As many as 27 deaths from confirmed worrisome COVID-19 variants have been recorded and reported to INSP - CNSCBT, all involving the UK variant (B.1.1.7).