The first case of a mutated coronavirus variant that scientists believe spreads easier has been discovered in Germany, officials said on Thursday, as countries across the world start detecting the strain in their populations.
Germany’s first known case of the new strain is a woman who entered the southwestern state of Baden-Wurttemberg from the UK via Frankfurt Airport on Sunday.
She is now quarantining, according to the regional ministry of health, following the results of a mandatory Covid-19 test at the airport, which she received on Thursday.
Three close contacts of the woman have also been identified and are all now quarantining, although they did not show any symptoms.
“The person in question traveled to Germany by plane from London Heathrow via Frankfurt am Main Airport and is currently visiting relatives in the Freudenstadt district in Baden-Wurttemberg,” a spokesperson said.
They added that the individual had been picked up from the airport by relatives by car and that she had developed mild symptoms of the disease.
Germany is the latest country to report the new Covid-19 strain, which caused more than 50 countries to ban UK arrivals, including most of the EU and other nations such as China, Canada and Brazil.
The World Health Organization has said that the new strain of the virus “may spread more readily between people,” and there are now cases reported in Israel, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia and Italy.
However, the WHO insisted that the mutation does not appear to be more aggressive or deadly.
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