Chief Epidemiologist: “British” Coronavirus Strain Could Be Introduced in Lithuania in November

“The risk of entry, it could have been in autumn, maybe it could have been November. Because as long as there are isolated cases, it is unlikely that we would. (…) It is very likely that there are more cases of this type. Only some sequential investigations have been carried out, so they could not be determined accordingly, ”L. Ašoklienė told BNS on Tuesday.

“It is part of every case, but I don’t think it is dominant. If there was a lot, we would have found it, “added the epidemiologist.

According to her, taking into account the easing of quarantine conditions and the rapid spread of the “British” variety, reinforcing the use of masks indoors is being considered.

“The most important thing is the safety inside. We really should not wear those masks or cloth shields anymore, I understand that people feel more comfortable, easier to breathe, without glasses. However, if we are already using it, we must use it properly and correctly, ”said L. Ašoklienė.

“It just came to our knowledge then. When you have a reduction in morbidity, that each release generates a little anxiety about how it will affect the epidemiological situation. And with this variety, there are also those fears,” said the epidemiologist.

According to L. Ašoklienė, correct and adequate protection of protective equipment is especially relevant for the company providing contact services.

According to her, although cloth masks slow the spread of the virus, medical masks and respirators are much more effective, and Germany or Austria have also introduced stricter masks to protect against the more rapid spread of the mutated virus.

The epidemiologist emphasized that there are no specific measures to control the spread of mutated strains; the usual but stricter restrictions apply to travel, quarantine conditions and the use of protective equipment.

L. Ašoklienė also said that the use of outdoor masks could be reviewed, but it will depend on the epidemiological situation in the country.

“As long as there is a high morbidity and it remains high in our country, it is not considered to give up. With the reduction of morbidity, it will be possible to consider the mandatory use of masks only indoors and only recommend them outdoors, ”said the country’s chief epidemiologist.

Suspicion was raised by a molecular test response

The Ministry of Health confirmed to the BNS on Monday that in early January a Vilnius woman had been diagnosed with a strain of coronavirus that had spread in the United Kingdom (UK).

The country’s chief epidemiologist points out that these cases are often associated with travel, but in Lithuania this has not been possible.

As the National Center for Public Health reported to BNS on Monday, the woman is believed to have contracted the mutated strain from a loved one in a family setting.

The epidemiological investigation revealed that he had not gone abroad. The patient also did not report interacting with people who returned from abroad or who were infected with COVID-19.

The infection was confirmed in late December.

However, according to the chief epidemiologist, the “British” strain is not associated with a sharp increase in cases late last year.

“The increase in our morbidity started much earlier and those containment measures were introduced a little later. At least in our country, this increase should not be associated with the UK variety, because we would probably have found it at least in the sequence of previous individual cases ”, said L. Ašoklienė adding that he does not believe that this variety is even dominant now.

According to L. Ašoklienė, a sample from a woman with a mutated coronavirus strain was sent to a laboratory in Rotterdam for sequencing studies after the suspicion was caused by a molecular test response.

“When you perform laboratory tests with certain reagents, you can suspect when a mutation is possible. Samples from that woman were selected because one of the reagents had been tested and it was suspected that there might be a mutation because the reagents did not read a gene, ”said the epidemiologist.

“In most cases, these types of samples are proposed for sequencing studies, so samples from this woman and several other people were selected, and so far only one has been confirmed,” he added.

As reported by the Health Ministry to the BNS, information about the mutation in the sample was received on Thursday last week, but the details were later clarified.

“We contacted a laboratory in the Netherlands to obtain a detailed description of the virus mutation. We received the reply on February 1, “said Aistė Šuksta, spokesman for the Minister of Health, when asked why he had not been informed earlier.

According to her, the detected mutation was also announced through the European Commission’s rapid alert and response system, thus sharing information with the competent authorities of the European Union, the European Commission, the World Health Organization, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.

Sequence surveys must be regular

According to L. Ašoklienė, in Lithuania, until now, sequencing research is carried out in university laboratories for scientific purposes, but the aim is for the state to do it regularly.

Last Friday, the government ordered the Department of Health (SAM) to organize and coordinate a sequence test of the coronavirus genome to detect mutations in the virus.

The Government Protocol establishes that the purpose of the study of the COVID-19 virus genome sequence is to monitor the diversity, prevalence and genomic variation of the SARS-CoV-2 strains found in Lithuania during the epidemic.

The results of the study are expected to be publicly shared, thus enabling independent research conducted in Lithuania or elsewhere in the world, and also contributing to the general global knowledge on the evolution and prevalence of SARS-CoV-2.

“We have cooperation with the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, which is also determined and interested in more sequencing research in countries, and they would also like to contribute,” said L. Ašoklienė.

On December 19, UK officials confirmed that a new strain of coronavirus found in the country could spread more quickly. According to the country’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the new strain of the virus could be 70 percent. more contagious.

This strain of the virus has been found to compete with other dominant strains and to become one of the most common in the English region. It is believed to have caused a sharp increase in the number of cases.

As a result, many countries in the European Union, including Lithuania, have temporarily banned the entry of passengers into the United Kingdom.

Later in January, Johnson reported that there was “some evidence” that the new strain of coronavirus was not only more contagious but also led to higher mortality.