Variations in Italy, new investigation by the Ministry

Covid variants in Italy, a new rapid survey on the spread in our country. This was announced by the circular entitled ‘Estimation of the prevalence of Voc variants (Variant Of Concern, variants of concern, ed.) In Italy’: lineage B.1.1.7, P.1, B.1.617 (1,2 or 3) and B.1.351, and other variants of the Sars-CoV-2 virus, signed by the Director General for Prevention of the Ministry of Health, Giovanni Rezza. Among the main variants of the Coronavirus the so-called English, Brazilian, South African and the Delta that is most frightening. “The survey will be coordinated by the Higher Institute of Health in collaboration with the Regions and Autonomous Provinces, and in particular with the laboratories identified by the latter”, reads the text which for methodological details refers to an attached technical note. “This evaluation – it is specified – will take into consideration the samples notified on June 22, corresponding to first infections, to be analyzed by genomic sequencing”. The analysis will cover four macro-areas: North-West (Piedmont, Valle d’Aosta, Liguria, Lombardy ), North-East (Trentino Alto Adige, Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Emilia Romagna), Center (Tuscany, Umbria, Marche, Lazio), South and Islands (Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, Sardinia, Sicily ). “Taking into account the fact that variants with different prevalences circulate in the area – continues the note – it is calculated that, with the sample size chosen” and indicated in a table for each of the areas, “it is possible to estimate prevalences of around 1%, 10 % or 50% with precision respectively around 0.9%, 2.7% and 4.5% in the four macro-areas considered “. Furthermore, “following the ECDC protocol on the sequencing of Sars-CoV-2, with the chosen sample size it is possible to observe variants in each macro-region that circulate around 1% with a 95% confidence level”. it also details the number of samples requested from each Region or public administration. “The sample – it is recommended – must be chosen randomly among the positive samples, guaranteeing geographical representativeness and, if possible, representativeness by age group”. Regions and public administrations will have to send the data by next July 1st.