A new variant of the coronavirus has been discovered on Wednesday. It has similarities to both the English and South African variants, Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reports. The FHI fears it may be more contagious.
Around ten cases of the new variant named B. 1.525 have been found in Norway in the last 24 hours.
The variant has also appeared in Denmark, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
“We do not yet know if it is more contagious, but it can be. It has changes at the location in the virus that may affect infectivity,” department director Line Vold at the National Institute of Public Health (FHI) told the channel.
The FHI will monitor the new variant
Vold noted that the FHI would keep the new variant under surveillance, as it does with the other more infectious mutations.
It is too early to say whether the infection has been imported. According to the FHI’s weekly report, most cases of the new variant have been discovered in Oslo.
Norway is among the top four countries in Europe – after the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Iceland – when it comes to analyzing samples for new variants of the virus.
According to Vold, that is the reason why new cases are constantly being confirmed in the country.
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews
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