After checking samples on Sunday, E.Gulbis Laboratory may have found two patients infected with Omicron variant of Covid-19.
Saliva samples were handed in by arrivals at Riga International Airport on Saturday.
Initial tests revealed the samples mostly meet criteria of the previous – Delta variant. More in-depth evaluation was ordered and the virus was sequenced using Sanger sequencing method. This helped identify the Omicron variant.
The Disease Prevention and Control Centre (SPKC) has been informed of the findings. According to the laboratory, from now on sample testing will be performed in accordance with the algorithm used by SPKC and National Microbiology Laboratory.
As previously reported, on 24 November a new Covid-19 variant with a large number of mutations was found in the South African Republic. The new variant is the cause behind the rapid surge of infections in this country.