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First cases of Kraken variant of Covid-19 registered in Moldova

21:17 | 16.01.2023 Category: Social

Chisinau, 16 January /MOLDPRES/ - The first cases of disease with the subline XBB.1.5 (unofficially named Kraken) have been registered in Moldova. This is the most contagious subline of SARS-CoV-2 at present. The National Public Health Agency (ANSP) made statements to this effect today.  

The head of the ANSP information and communication service, Olesea Croitor, has told MOLDPRES that the findings of the last reactions of sequencing from 16 January 2023 showed that the circulation of sublines belonging to the Omicron variant had been identified in all those 16 samples selected from patients. ‘’Out of the 16 samples, the subline XBB.1.5 (unofficially named Kraken) was confirmed in three samples of SARS-CoV-2, being the most contagious subline at present,’’ Croitor noted.     

According to ANSP, the samples were selected from various regions of Moldova (Chisinau, the districts of Causeni, Criuleni, Dubasari, Hancesti, Orhei, Rascani, Tiraspol), from the rural and urban environment, confirmed through techniques of molecular biology (rRT-PCR) and subjected to sequencing. In the samples selected, the Omicron variant was confirmed in seven men and nine women. The subline XBB.1.5 was confirmed in three persons (two men from Chisinau and a woman from Dubasari).

ANSP specialists recommend that the residents are vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, as this is the only safe and efficient way of preventing serious cases of disease and death of COVID-19 and urge them to observe the earlier public health measures for the prevention and control of the COVID-19 infection.

Specialists of the World Health Organization described the Kraken variant as the most transmissible variant of Omicron so far, and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control estimates that it doubles the number of people who are infected. For the first time ever, the Kraken variant would have emerged in the United States in November-December 2022 and presently it is regarded as the dominant strain in the USA, causing almost a half of the infections. This variant has been already confirmed in more European countries.    

Photo: wwltv.com

 

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