Brazil Covid variants detected in Scotland
●Residents test positive for new strain after returning from South America
Three cases of a new variant of Covid-19 first identified in Brazil have been confirmed in Scotland. Scottish Government said that three individuals who had returned to North- east Scotland from the South American country, via Paris and London, had tested positive for the variant.
Health secretary Jeane Freeman said the identification of the new variant – first traced in the north-westthe ern Brazilian city of Manaus – was a cause for “concern ” but stressed the government was taking “every possible precaution”.
This variant in question has been designated “of concern” as it shares some important mutations with a variant first identified in South Africa.
There is some data to suggest that this variant may be more likely to cause Covid-19 infections in people who have been vaccinated or who
had been infected with one of the earlier strains of coronavirus.
The so-c all edp1vari ant carries multiple mutations affecting the spike protein, raising questions about whether people who have developed antibodies to the previous strains – either via vaccination or recovering from Covid-19 – will be susceptible to it.
The three individuals, all Scottish residents, tested positive after entering self-isolation. Health protection teams are currently contacting other passengers on a London to Aberdeen flight. It is unclear how many people were on board the flight.
The tests were completed in early February and passed to the UK’S advanced sequencing capabilities programme which detected the new variant.
The three positive Scottish cases are not connected to three cases of the variant identified in England.
The Scottish Government said health protection authorities, including local clinicians,h ave assessed each case and their contacts, and were arranging protective measures for a “small number of potentially exposed individuals.” It added that people who could have been infected are also being isolated and tested.
The Brazil variant first emerged last year and has a mutation known as E484K which may help the virus evade parts of the immune system called antibodies.
It is possible that this variant may respond less well to current vaccines, but at this time there is a high degree of uncertainty. Authorities area waiting clinical and trial data to better understand its impact.