Brazil variant of Covid-19 found in three new cases
THREE cases of a new variant of Covid-19 first identified in Brazil have been detected in Scotland. Three Scottish residents returned from Brazil via Paris and London, and were then on a flight to Aberdeen.
The three went into self-isolation for 10 days on their return and tested positive for the virus
When the tests which were carried out early in February were passed to the UK’s genomic sequencing lab for analysis, it was discovered they had the new variant.
All other passengers on the flight used by the three individuals from London to Aberdeen are being contacted.
Health protection teams, including local clinicians, have assessed each case and their contacts, and are arranging protective measures for this small number of potentially exposed individuals.
To provide an extra layer of safety, teams are ensuring people who could have been infected by these first-line contacts are also isolated and tested.
This is to ensure all possible precautions are taken as more is learned about the new variant.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “The identification of this new variant is a concern but we are taking every possible precaution. We have identified these cases thanks to our use of advanced sequencing capabilities which means we are finding more variants and mutations than many other countries and are therefore able to take action quickly.”
The minister added: “The Covid vaccination programme is one of three key ways we are working to beat this virus, along with our expanded testing programme to identify cases and break chains of transmission, and the important lockdown restrictions everyone in Scotland must follow.” So far, 1,593,695 people have received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine.
There were 23,542 vaccinations carried out on Saturday.
Meanwhile, it is one year exactly since the first positive case of coronavirus was recorded in Scotland. Since then, with another 572 cases reported yesterday, there have been 201,084 positive tests registered.
With two more deaths registered yesterday, the total number of deaths of someone who tested positive in the 28 days before they died is now 7131.
Of the 571 new cases, there were 171 in Greater Glasgow and Clyde and 95 in Lanarkshire.
There was another drop in the numbers in hospital but a rise in those in intensive care.
There were 837 people in hospital confirmed to have the virus, which wass a fall of 61 in 24 hours, and 78 patients were in intensive care, which was up by four.
On March 1, 2020, a Tayside resident who travelled from Italy became the first person in Scotland to be diagnosed with coronavirus.
The following day, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said more than 200,000 Scots could end up in hospital in a “worst-case outcome”.
Less than two weeks later, on March 13, the first patient died after contracting Covid-19.
On March 23, after 14 deaths and with 499 positive cases, the country entered lockdown with the rest of the UK.