ISS, August 20th 2021
In Italy, during the last 45 days, 82.4% of sequenced swabs tested positive for the Delta variant, while the Alpha variant declined, stopping at 8.0%. New cases of infection caused by the Delta variant have been reported in all Regions / Autonomous Provinces. The data are contained in the seventh ISS Newsletter "Prevalence and distribution of SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest for public health in Italy".
The main conclusions of the report
· The capacity to genotype / sequence clinical samples positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to grow in Italy. Overall, since the beginning of the year, over 2% of the swabs revealing new cases of confirmed infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus and reported to the COVID-19 Integrated Surveillance System have been genotyped / sequenced. This percentage has increased over time. In July, 10% of the samples were sequenced / genotyped despite the surge in cases recorded throughout the Country.
· In the last 45 days (3 July - 16 August 2021), there has been an increase in the number of cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection that were genotyped / sequenced and reported to the COVID-19 Integrated Surveillance System: a total of 9,842 cases compared to 7,739 cases reported in the previous period (June 19 - August 2 2021).
· During this period of reference, the reported number of cases caused by the Delta variant (lineage B.1.617.2) in Italy is still higher than the reported number of all other monitored variants. New cases of infection caused by the Delta variant have been reported in almost all Italian Provinces.
· The frequency of cases caused by the Alpha variant is dropping sharply, as is their diffusion across the Country.
· There is a decline also in the frequency of cases caused by the Gamma variant (lineage P.1), which is more diffused, however, in some Italian Regions / Autonomous Provinces.
