Press Release N° 34/2021 COVID-19: in Italy the Delta variant increased in June reaching 16.8%, while the rampant variant is the English variant (74.92%)

ISS, June 25th 2021 - 

The Alpha variant, the so-called "English variant", is still the most widespread in Italy, accounting for 74.9% of cases. However, although the June data have not been consolidated yet, the initial reports of the sequencing performed, show a percentage increase in the cases of K and Delta variants, the so-called "Indian" variant and one of its subtypes, which have grown from 4,2% in May, to 16.8% in June (data extracted as at the 21st of the month). These are the first reports referring to recent weeks, monitored by the ISS COVID-19 Integrated Surveillance System, pending the flash survey that will offer a snapshot of the situation in our Country since it will provide a representative sample.
"A rapidly evolving picture emerges from our epidemiological surveillance” - says Anna Teresa Palamara, director of the Infectious Diseases Department of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità – ISS (Italian National Health Institute) - which confirms that even in our Country, as in the rest of Europe, the Delta variant of the virus is growing in prevalence. With the next flash survey we will have a more precise estimate of the prevalence".
These data, contained in the third ISS bulletin "Prevalence and distribution of SARS-CoV-2 variants of public health interest in Italy", concern 31,158 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection with genotyping by sequencing (2,732 more than in the previous report of 6 June) and indicate that in Italy, thanks to the platform for the genomic surveillance of the SARS-CoV-2 variants (I-Co-Gen), developed by the ISS and active since the end of April, the capacity to sequence the circulating strains of the virus is expanding rapidly. To date, the module, dedicated to the analysis and sharing of SARS-CoV-2 sequencing data at national level, counts more than 5,000 sequences.
In fact, the report highlights that the percentage of sequenced cases is increasing steadily, rising from 0.5% of cases diagnosed in January, to 2.5% of cases diagnosed in the first half of June, according to the data available on the platform.
The data of the Newsletter:
•    The variant of SARS-CoV-2 prevalent in Italy was found to be the Alpha variant (lineage B.1.1.7) with a prevalence of 74.9% which is also the most widespread at the global level. Although it has higher transmissibility than other variants that are common in Italy, there is evidence that the current vaccines are maintaining their effectiveness in preventing cases of disease and infection due to this variant.
•    The Gamma variant (lineage P.1) is more widespread in some Regions/Autonomous Provinces,, with an overall prevalence of 6.5%.
•    The prevalence of other variants of SARS-CoV-2 of public health interest is <1% in our Country, with the exception of the Eta variant (lineage B.1.525, 1.2%).
•    On the whole there were few cases associated with the K and Delta variants (lineage B.1.617.1/2) in the January-June period, however there has been a recent rapid increase in the frequency and diffusion of these reports across the national territory due to several outbreaks. In addition, most of them belong to the delta variant.