Russia reports first case of mutated UK coronavirus variant

A new, more infectious variant of Covid-19, which was discovered in Britain in mid-December, has reached Russia, the country’s wellbeing and consumer-rights watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, said.

The mutated strain was found in the samples taken from a Russian man who had returned from a trip to the UK before the New Year, Rospotrebnadzor’s head Anna Popova told the Rossiya 1 channel on Sunday.

He didn't show symptoms of the disease and isn’t contagious anymore. “The man was feeling and is currently feeling fine,” Popova said. 

The new Covid-19 variant has led in recent weeks to a spike in cases in Britain, particularly in London, and has resulted in many countries banning all travelers from the UK. However, the measures didn’t prevent the spread of the strain, with cases having been detected across Europe, in the US, Asia, and elsewhere.

The UK variant is believed to be up to 70 percent more contagious than the original coronavirus, although there’s currently no evidence of it being deadlier or causing harsher symptoms.

Earlier in the day, Japan announced it had discovered yet another variant of the virus with similarities to the UK and South African strains. It was identified in the Covid test results of passengers who had arrived from Brazil.

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