#15,653
While the obvious focus on the UK variant COVID virus it in the UK, a handful of countries - including Denmark, Italy, The Netherlands, Australia, and Hong Kong - haver picked up a few cases (see Hong Kong: CHP Investigating 2 Suspected UK Variant COVID Infections).
A week ago, Denmark has reported 9 cases through Dec. 3rd (see Denmark Orders Christmas Lockdown Over COVID - SSI Update On UK Strain), while today that number has increased to 33 through December 14th.
Yesterday the Statens Serum Institut published an updated risk assessment, which is summarized in the following (translated) press release. While they now have community spread - for now it is considered `low level', and it is too soon to know how much of an impact it will have.
The Statens Serum Institut publishes updated figures for the English covid-19 virus variant
So far, 33 cases of the variant have been found in Denmark in the North Jutland Region, the Capital Region, the Region of Southern Denmark and the Zealand Region. This indicates that there is now a societal infection with the new variant, but at a low level.Last edited on December 24, 2020
On Wednesday, the Statens Serum Institut (SSI) presented updated figures for the English virus variant SARS-CoV-2 Cluster B.1.1.7 as well as an updated risk assessment .
There has been a focus on the English virus variant, after rapidly increasing covid-19 infection rates have been seen in southern England, south-east England and London since the end of November. Samples show that more than half of the cases belong to the new virus strain. At the same time, UK modeling studies suggest that the Cluster B.1.1.7 variant is 70% more contagious than other covid-19 strains.
How many are infected in Denmark?
So far, the English variant has been found among 33 Danes in the North Jutland Region, the Capital Region, the Zealand Region and the Region of Southern Denmark in the period from 14 November to 14 December.
Among these are 12 samples from persons who were known contacts to previously detected cases, and who were thus specially selected for sequencing.
In total, there are data from 7,805 sequenced samples during this period. This means that the English variant is found in 0.4% of the positive samples. However, since only 13% of the total number of positive samples have been sequenced during this period, the actual number of cases may be higher.
What is the risk assessment for the English variant in Denmark?
The new figures indicate that there is now a societal infection in Denmark with the English variant. However, it is at a low level.
“Based on the data we have now, we cannot assess that the Cluster B.1.1.7 variant has spread faster in Denmark than other covid-19 virus strains. However, there is still no indication that it has a more serious course or that vaccines do not work on it ", says department head Tyra Grove Krause from SSI. She continues:
“The consequences of a more contagious virus spreading may be that general infection prevention measures must be strengthened or maintained for a longer period of time in order to keep the epidemic under control. At the moment, the implemented measures in Denmark, regardless of the presence of the English variant, seem to have had an effect and slowed down the spread of infection. ”
