KUCHING: The Delta variant is currently the dominant circulating Covid-19 variant in Sarawak when 303 cases were detected from 307 cases undergoing genomic sequencing as of Aug 31, according to Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) Institute of Health and Community Medicine (IHCM) director Prof Dr David Perera.
He said the cases with this variant of concern (VOC) represented 99 per cent of the cases undergoing genomic sequencing on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - Coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV 2) that IHCM had carried out.
"This represents an increase from the 82 per cent reported by IHCM on Aug 2 this year, thus, the data suggests that the Delta variant is currently the dominant circulating variant in Sarawak," he said in his latest report to the chairman of the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah today.
He said all the samples obtained by the institute from cases in Kuching, Serian, Samarahan, Sri Aman, Betong, Sarikei, Mukah and Limbang Divisions, as well as from Import A (persons from other countries entering Sarawak) carried the variant.
"The Sibu and Kapit Divisions (cases) on the other hand had registered 97 per cent (with the variant) while the Bintulu Division with 98 per cent detection rates," he added.– BERNAMA