Omicron dominant in Italy, Omicron 2 on the rise. According to the latest flash survey on the circulation of Sars-CoV-2 variants in Italy, “on March 7 the Omicron variant was predominant – reports the Higher Institute of Health – with an estimated prevalence of 99.9%” and ” a regional variability between 99.2% and 100%. The sub-lineage “, precisely the so-called Omicron 2on the other hand, has an “even” prevalence 44.1% “ed” was found in almost all the Regions / Autonomous Provinces“with a range between 0% of Valle d’Aosta and 79.7% of Liguria. In the previous survey, with data as of January 31, the sub-variant Omicron 2 was 3%, present in 16 Regions / Pa.
In particular Omicron 2 has already surpassed Omicron 1 in 7 Regions / Autonomous Provinces of Italy: as of March 7, its prevalence exceeds 50% in Liguria (79.7%, the maximum), Pa di Bolzano (75%), Umbria (65%), Lombardy (62.5%), Friuli Venezia Giulia (59.1%), Emilia Romagna (58.3%) and Piedmont (54.4%). The only Region with Omicron 2 still absent is Valle d’Aosta (0%), not surprisingly the only ‘yellow’ area in a ‘dark red’ Italy in the map updated yesterday by the ECDC, European Center for disease prevention and control. Omicron 2 approaches 50% in Lazio (47.5%) and Tuscany (47.1%). Followed by Marche and Molise (41.2%), Sardinia (40.8%), Veneto (38.5%), Calabria (36.2%), Puglia (34.3%), Sicily (30.3%) , Campania (28.9%), Basilicata and Pa Trento (25%), Abruzzo (23.6%).
For the rapid investigation, conducted by ISS and the Ministry of Health together with the regional laboratories and the Bruno Kessler Foundation, the laboratories of the Regions / Pa were asked to select subsamples of positive cases and to sequence the genome of the virus. The sample requested was randomly chosen from among the positive samples, ensuring a certain geographical representativeness and, if possible, for different age groups. In total, all the Regions / PAs and a total of 117 regional laboratories and the Military Health Laboratory participated in the survey, and 1,984 samples were sequenced.
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