A laboratory technician is pictured dealing with swab samples at a hospital in Mulhouse, France, in November. French officers confirmed the nation’s first case of the brand new coronavirus variant on Friday.
Patrick Hertzog/AFP through Getty Photographs
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Patrick Hertzog/AFP through Getty Photographs
A laboratory technician is pictured dealing with swab samples at a hospital in Mulhouse, France, in November. French officers confirmed the nation’s first case of the brand new coronavirus variant on Friday.
Patrick Hertzog/AFP through Getty Photographs
The extra contagious coronavirus variant sweeping by means of England has formally reached France.
Officers there stated on Friday {that a} French citizen who lately traveled from London has examined optimistic for the brand new variant.
The French Well being Ministry stated the case was discovered within the metropolis of Excursions, about 150 miles southwest of Paris, in response to Reuters. The person, who returned from London on Dec. 19, “felt all proper” and is self-isolating at house.
The analysis got here after he was examined within the hospital on Dec. 21, the BBC reported.
Viruses usually mutate, and scientists are working to find out how a lot of a menace this variant poses. To this point, they are saying it seems extra transmissible and tougher to manage, although it appears unlikely to trigger extra extreme illness and is probably going to reply to COVID-19 vaccines.
Its discovery has prompted plenty of European nations to limit journey from the UK in current days.
France reopened its borders to eligible vacationers and truck drivers from the U.Okay. on Wednesday, after a short shutdown that left hundreds of truckers caught. It’s going to proceed sure journey restrictions by means of a minimum of Jan. 6.
And on Thursday, the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention introduced that the U.S. would require all vacationers from the U.Okay. to current proof of a detrimental coronavirus check from not more than 72 hours earlier than their departure, beginning Dec. 28.
As NPR’s Michaeleen Doucleff has reported, researchers have already detected the brand new variant in a number of nations, together with Denmark, the Netherlands and Australia. Others, together with the U.S., haven’t been monitoring variants as carefully.
Additionally on Friday, Japanese officers confirmed the nation’s first 5 instances of the brand new variant in passengers arriving from the U.Okay.
