British strain found in nearly 70% of sequenced coronavirus samples

  • 2021-04-27
  • LETA/TBT Staff

RIGA - The British coronavirus strain is now found in nearly 70 percent of all samples sequenced in Latvia, according to the data released by the Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Center. 

The prevalence of the British coronavirus strain continues to grow in Latvia. The variant has so far been detected in 700 virus samples, of which 63 were detected last week, making up 68 percent of all sequenced samples. 

The share of the British variant, which slightly decreased in the two weeks before last, started to rise again last week. Janis Klovins, head of the Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Center's Scientific Council, said earlier that the British coronavirus strain has gained foothold in Latvia. 

Klovins also informed that the South Africa variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus was found in one sample sequenced last week. So far, this coronavirus strain has been found in 11 samples in Latvia. 

The Biomedical Research and Study Center has so far sequenced 2,757 coronavirus samples, of which 96 were sequenced last week.