[News] In France and Japan they detect infected with a variant of SARS-CoV-2 that was reported in the United Kingdom

[#Steeven.™]

A first case of the new strain of covid-19 that emerged in the United Kingdom was detected this Friday in the town of Tours, in central France, announced the French Ministry of Health.

The first positive confirmed in France of the new variant of the virus is a Frenchman who resides in the United Kingdom and who is asymptomatic, the Ministry reported in a statement, in which it specified that the infected person was isolated in quarantine.

After having arrived "from London on December 19 (...), he received medical attention in a hospital and on the 21st he tested positive," the Ministry said, which assured that he is the "first infected by the VOC 202012/01 variant. "on French territory.

According to the provisions of the protocol launched after the discovery of this possibly more contagious strain in the south-east of the United Kingdom, a "sequencing" of the virus carried by this patient was requested from the National Reference Center for Respiratory Infections Viruses. The latter confirmed the infection with VOC 202012/01 variant on Friday.

"Health officials began a search of the medical professionals who cared for the patient and the people with whom he was in contact, so that they are strictly isolated," the statement said.

In addition to this case, "so far, several positive samples that could be due to the VOC 202012/01 variant are being sequenced by the laboratories" of the National Reference Center, the Ministry added.

Similarly, the Minister of Health of Japan, Norihisa Tamura, reported that between December 18 and 21 cases were detected in two airports with five passengers.

It was specified that they tested positive upon arrival in Japan, two at Haneda airport and three at Kansai airport. Then it was found that they carried the variant detected in the United Kingdom.

Japan was one of the countries that prohibited the arrival of foreigners from the United Kingdom, however, it allows access for its nationals even if they arrive from that region.