SC checks more coronavirus samples for new variants and runs genomic tests faster | COVID-19

South Carolina is changing its approach to testing new variants of the coronavirus after discovering that two of the world’s most worrisome strains have already arrived here.

In recent months, the state’s Department of Health has been scrutinizing the backlog of suspected coronavirus samples containing new mutants that first appeared in the United Kingdom. The purpose of the division was to see if British stocks reached Palmetto at some point.

Now scientists know what it has. And there is another that was first discovered in South Africa.

With these revelations, DHEC discontinued previous approaches to sequencing the genetic code of virus samples and instead focused on what forms of virus circulate in the state. Distributors are currently analyzing near real-time samples rather than looking at older samples. And it’s no longer focused on just one variant.

DHEC said it is developing a process to take samples from all over the state, paying special attention to areas where new variants have already been discovered.

The new strategy will be realized by DHEC’s efforts to monitor new variants as well. Authorities said they hope to be able to analyze more than 100 samples per week starting at 20 weeks in January.

The UK and South Africa variants are two of the three virus strains designated as “subspecies of concern” by public health authorities. They issued a warning because they appear to spread more easily than previous versions of the virus. South African variants also appear to reduce the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine, but Shot is thought to prevent severe cases of COVID-19.

Changes to DHEC’s testing strategy took place shortly after being identified by health authorities. Two people infected with South African variants, Officially known as B.1.351. DHEC announced these cases on January 28th. The next day, lab staff spoke to DHEC epidemiologists and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention staff about the new approach.

A few days later, South Carolina Found the first case of a British variant, B.1.1.7.

The case of the B.1.351 mutant was particularly alarming. The strain had not yet been found elsewhere in the country, but somehow it infected two people who lived in different parts of the state, did not know each other, and were evacuated. I haven’t traveled recently.

“We may never know where these people got it,” said Dr. Brian Traxler, DHEC’s interim public health director, in January.

These signs indicated variants that were widespread within the community. To make matters worse, I was here for a while before the incident was announced. Approximately three weeks have passed since the two were stolen, according to information listed in the virus sequence database operated by the GISAID Initiative.

DHEC said it began sequencing virus samples in-house in June using a device that reads the genetic code of the virus and converts it into a long string. Each virus is represented by approximately 30,000 As, Ts, Cs, and Gs. These are the parts that tell the cell how to make a new copy. Scientists reveal how the virus is changing and whether it is adapted to our defenses, although the analysis is more cumbersome and time-consuming than a standard coronavirus test. Said it was important to do so.

Post and Courier analysis of the GISAID database shows that DHEC, CDC, and private sector laboratories are sequencing more samples of the virus from South Carolina. A total of 363 test results have been published, about 8 out of every 10,000 states seen since the pandemic began.

This lags behind the national average of about 36 cases per 10,000 cases. And it’s inferior to the UK, where experts first acknowledge a strong sequencing effort to identify B.1.1.7. The United Kingdom analyzed 529 samples for every 10,000 cases.

reach Sad Moore At 843-937-5703. Follow him on Twitter @ thadmoore.