China to WHO: There is no new variant in the country

In a written statement from the WHO, it was indicated that the Organization’s technical advisory group, which monitors the development of the virus, met with the Chinese delegation to discuss the Covid-19 situation in China on January 3.

It was reported at the meeting that Chinese scientists made a presentation on the DNA data of samples taken from SARS-CoV-2 virus cases of local origin and cases they classified as “foreign origin.”

The data presented for locally acquired infections was stated to be based on DNA data from more than 2,000 samples collected up to December 1, 2022.

It was claimed that the Chinese delegation’s analyzes showed that the BF.7 and BA.5.2 subvariants of the Omicron virus were locally dominant, and the BF.7 and BA.5.2 subvariants accounted for 97.5 percent of the local population. Infections according to genome sequencing.

It was reported that while other known Omicron sub-variants were detected in the country, albeit at low rates, these sub-variants were known and observed in other countries, while the Delegation reported that no new variants were observed in the country.

NO NEW VARIANT DETECTED IN CHINA

In the WHO data in the statement, it was noted that as of January 3, the DNA sequences of 773 samples in China were added to the “GISAID EpiCoV” database, where genetic information of the corona virus was compiled, and 564 of them were collected after December 1, 2022.

It was reported that 95 of them were identified locally, 187 came from abroad, and 261 of them have not yet been shared.

It was noted that 95 percent of the local cases in the country were caused by subvariants of Omicron, BA.5.2 or BF.7. This was also claimed to be compatible with the genomes of passengers traveling from China, which other countries reported to GISAID EpiCoV.

In the publicly available DNA data, it was noted that no new variants or mutations were detected in China.

While it was stated that the WHO will continue to closely monitor the virus situation in China and around the world, countries were advised to remain vigilant, report data, and conduct independent and comparative analysis against different Omicron variants.

The WHO technical advisory board, which studies the evolution of the virus, meets regularly to review the latest scientific data on the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19, while advising the organization on changes in the public health strategies. (AA)