The public health authorities said they have not found any meaningful genetic mutation in domestic confirmed cases of the new coronavirus (COVID-19), dismissing concerns over test errors by a mutation of the virus.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said Thursday that it has analyzed genes of 73 viruses from local COVID-19 patients and found no significant genetic mutation that could lead to more powerful viral transmissions and pathogenicity.

Nor have the authorities found any mutation in the target gene in the COVID-19 gene detection test, it added.

A target gene refers to an amplified site of the gene for identifying a specific gene of the COVID-19 virus. The absence of the target gene mutation means that people do not have to worry about possible test errors due to the genetic mutation.

KCDC said it would disclose the information about additional gene sequences to the World Health Organization’s Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) so that researchers around the world can use them.

“We will keep analyzing genetic information of COVID-19 virus to monitor any new mutation,” KCDC Director Jeong Eun-kyeong said.