After laboratories, they are in charge of the genomic sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Ecuador.
In Ecuador, the genomic sequencing of the virus has been carried out since March 2020. From there, more than 3,300 samples have been analyzed and uploaded to international platforms such as Gisaid.
Through a statement, the Ministry of Health announced that the National Institute for Research and Public Health (INSPI), one of the three main laboratories that carry out this process (the other two are the Universidad de Especialidades Espíritu Santo and Universidad San Francisco de Quito), has sequenced 3,163 positive samples for COVID-19 until December 2021.
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Of this analysis, 55.26%, that is, 1,748 correspond to four out of five variants of concern. These are delta, gamma, alpha, and omicron.
The World Health Organization classifies SARS-CoV-2 variants as of concern and of interest. The first group, made up of five variants, corresponds to variants that have any of these three characteristics: increased transmissibility, virulence, or decreased efficacy of vaccines and treatments.
In the variants of interest, consisting of mu and lambda, they must have characteristics that indicate that they may pose a new risk to global public health.
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In recent months the delta variant has become predominant in the country, the INSPI has detected 1,134 with this variant; They are followed by range with 345 and alpha with 266. In the case of omicron, three cases have already been reported. In the case of the mu variant, 541 have been counted. The rest correspond to unclassified variants of less contagiousness (873).
Last August the entity had indicated that 917 genomes were sequenced with the iota variant as the predominant variant that the WHO changed from a variant of interest to under surveillance.
These are the provinces that have found the most variants of concern, according to INSPI:
Delta (B.1.617.2)
- Guayas: 200 sequences
- Manabi: 197 sequences
- Gold: 168 sequences
- Pichincha: 149 sequences
- Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas: 78 sequences
Alpha (B.1.1.7)
- Pichincha: 100 sequences
- Chimborazo: 39 sequences
- Guayas: 18 sequences
- Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas: 16 sequences
- The rivers: 14 sequences
Range (P.1)
- Pichincha: 89 sequences
- Guayas: 68 sequences
- Gold: 22 sequences
- Manabi: 20 sequences
- Chimborazo: 20 sequences
Ómicron (B.1.1.529)
- Pichincha: 2 sequences
- Guayas: 1 sequence
INSPI has been carrying out this process since June 2020, but capacity was increased in July of this year. The entity announced that the sequencing process is carried out at its headquarters in Guayaquil.
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