Bavaria has announced the discovery of suspicious changes in patient tests for the coronavirus. Berlin doctors confirmed the fears of their colleagues and suggested that it was a new mutation of the coronavirus. The cases in the German clinic were reported last week. Doctors are now studying this mutation to determine their features and properties.
A new strain of coronavirus has been discovered in Germany. It has been detected in patients at a clinic in Bavaria, the Merkur newspaper reported.
According to hospital manager Franz Niederbuhl, it happened as early as last week. Using the new device, the specialists noticed deviations in the results of the examination of patient smears. This seemed strange to the doctors, so they decided to consult with colleagues from the Charite Clinic. Samples from three patients were delivered to Berlin on Wednesday. On Friday, Charite confirmed that it could be a new variation of SARS-CoV-2.
“It’s a variant they’re not even familiar with there,” Niederbuhl said.
He would not say that this possible new strain has become more contagious, as doctors cannot yet comment on the properties and features of the new mutation. “We expect a detailed response by the end of January,” the Bavarian clinic manager added, referring to a more detailed response from colleagues in the capital.
Where this variant of the coronavirus came from is not yet known, but Franz Niederbuhl sees no reason to sound the alarm. “Since the beginning of the pandemic, more than 12 thousand changes in the structure of the virus have been recorded worldwide,” he assured, reassuring that there is no reason to panic.
So far, scientists are most concerned about the so-called “British” strain because it has the greatest distribution and of the most recently discovered mutations has been the most studied.
The British authorities told about the new mutation of the coronavirus in mid-December 2020, almost a year after the beginning of the spread of the already familiar species. Scientists conducted research and found out that this strain spreads 70% faster than the usual COVID-19. At the same time, the specialists are still unable to state that this strain is more likely to cause fatalities and severe conditions to patients.
While scientists are dealing with the “British” strain, all-new variations of the virus have been discovered around the world. One of them, in South Africa, was detected almost simultaneously with the “British” strain. According to scientists, this strain has the same high rate of spread as the mutation of the virus in Great Britain.
Another variation of the coronavirus was recorded in Brazil. Earlier, authorities in the Brazilian state of Amazonas reported that a repeat case of infection with the characteristic strain had been registered in the region.
