Covid-19 in Bulgaria: 53 Delta variant cases found in 90 samples
Bulgaria’s National Centre for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases (NCIPD) has completed the sequencing of 90 samples taken from Covid-19 patients in the country, finding 53 instances of the Delta variant and 32 Alpha variant cases, as well as one Beta variant case, the Health Ministry said on July 22.
The samples had been taken over a period of time ranging from June 21 to July 8 and came from 17 out of Bulgaria’s 28 districts. Separately, there were three samples taken from foreign nationals, although the ministry did not clarify if the people tested were permanent residents or travellers.
As of July 19, two patients who had been shown by the sequencing to have had the Delta variant had died, the Health Ministry said. The patient with the Beta variant and one patient with the Alpha variant also died.
Six of those with the Delta variant were in hospital, 31 were undergoing home treatment and 14 had recovered. Of those who had the Alpha variant, three were in hospital, 16 were undergoing home treatment and 12 had recovered as of July 19.
The Delta variant samples came from the city of Sofia (24), the district of Bourgas (seven), the district of Varna (four), the districts of Sofia and Veliko Turnovo (three each), the districts of Plovdiv and Pleven (two each), and one each from the districts of Blagoevgrad, Vidin, Rousse, Stara Zagora, Haskovo and Shoumen.
Of the three samples from foreign nationals, one was taken in the district of Blagoevgrad and was found to be the Alpha variant, while two in the district of Varna had the Delta variant.
Last week, NCIPD said that it had found 22 instances of the Delta variant in samples taken from among 81 Covid-19 patients in Bulgaria between May 31 and June 30. A week earlier, NCIPD said that it had found 43 Delta variant cases in samples taken from among 95 Covid-19 patients in Bulgaria between June 1 and 25.
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