The new strain of COVID-19 was detected in Georgia

A case of the new British strain of the COVID-19 virus was confirmed in Georgia. The Lugar Laboratory of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) carried out a study of three suspicious cases in the country. Genetic analysis has concluded that two out of three studied cases had no traces of the new virus strain, while one case has shown the mutation characteristics of the strain S gene.

The new strain of Coronavirus was first detected in the Southeast of England, and, according to epidemiological reports, the virus was already spreading rapidly while the United Kingdom was undergoing the second nation-wide lockdown. According to the report released by the scientists from the Imperial College London, the new strain registered a higher reproduction rate (R), which is calculated by the number of people that got infected from a single infected person. Unlike the previous strain of the COVID-19, the new strain has shown a rate of 0.7 as opposed to 0.4 which was registered before. The new strain is also considered more contagious because the number of infected persons is growing despite the “high levels of social distancing” implemented during the pre-Christmas and Christmas periods. For the number of confirmed cases to start falling, the rate of virus spreading should be valued below 1, whilst the latest estimates of the R rate in the UK is currently standing between 1.1 and 1.3.

When the new strain of the COVID-19 was confirmed, over 50 countries across the world have introduced measures to restrict travel from and to the United Kingdom, however, many of such restrictions are already lifted. In Georgia, the new measures included a mandatory 12-day quarantine for the individuals arriving from the United Kingdom, including the Georgian citizens who would be subjected to an 8-day self-isolation otherwise.

The new variant of the virus was found in a male patient over 50 years old. The patient had no previous history of travel, and his contacts were already identified and put in quarantine. The virus was likely contracted from one of the contacts that have recently been traveling abroad. The patient’s condition is satisfactory.

The new strain of the virus has already been confirmed in 30 countries. Over the last 24 hours, Georgia has confirmed 2,316 new cases, 382 recoveries, and 18 deaths, and the number of active cases has reduced to 6, 620. The newly imposed healthcare regulations remain in place and might only be revisited in a week after the epidemiological situation is assessed further.