SA, India Covid-19 variants detected in Malawi
The country has registered 14 cases of the Indian variant (Delta) of the coronavirus and 56 cases of the South African variant (Beta).
RUSTENBURG, June 3 (ANA) – Malawi has recorded Covid-19 variants first detected in South Africa and India, Health Minister Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda said.
“As the public is aware that there are different variants of Covid-19 being reported globally, as a country we are also doing routine monitoring to check the variants that are present in our country,” she said on Wednesday evening.
She said there were four variants of concerns as classified by World Health Organization: Alpha – B.1.1.7, first identified in United Kingdom; Beta – B1.351, first identified in South Africa; Gamma – P1, first identified in Brazil; and Delta – B.1617.2, first identified in India.
“We have been collecting samples for this particular purpose and a total of 739 samples have been sent to South Africa for genetic sequencing since January 2021. The first lot included samples from October 2020 to February 2021. Among these, the most common variant was the Beta variant. The second lot of 539 samples are still being analysed in South Africa. From this second lot, we have results for 84 samples.
“The results show that 14 samples have the Delta variant and 56 had the Beta variant. All the 14 of the Delta variant are from the Salima Sugar Factory and have since recovered. The results show that we have these two variants of concerns in our country.”
She said those cases whose samples were collected were appropriately isolated to ensure minimal spread of the virus to other people.
“We have also intensified screening in our ports of entry and mandatory quarantine for all those that are coming from the risky countries.”
Malawi registered 14 new Covid-19 cases, eight new recoveries and no new deaths on Wednesday.
Eight of the new cases were locally transmitted, while six cases were imported, including three from the Democratic Republic of Congo who were new arrivals at the Dzaleka refugee camp, as well as two from Mozambique and one from India.
The country cumulatively has recorded 34,360 cases, including 1,156 deaths and 32,629 recoveries. A total of 357,015 vaccine doses have been administered.
– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher
