France detects first case of new strain of covid that emerged in the United Kingdom | International

A first case of the new strain of covid-19 that emerged in the United Kingdom was detected this Friday in the town of Tours, in central France, the French Ministry of Health announced.

The first positive confirmed in France of the new variant of the virus is a Frenchman who resides in the United Kingdom and is asymptomatic, the Ministry reported in a statement, in which it specified that the infected person was isolated in quarantine.

After arriving “from London on December 19 (…), he received medical attention at a hospital and on the 21st he tested positive,” said the ministry, which assured that he is the “first infected by the VOC 202012/01 variant” in French territory.

As provided in the protocol launched after the discovery of this possibly more contagious strain in the south-east of the United Kingdom, a “sequencing” of the virus carried by this patient was requested from the National Reference Center for Respiratory Infections Viruses. The latter confirmed the infection with VOC 202012/01 variant on Friday.

“Health officials began a search of medical professionals who took care of the patient and the people with whom he was in contact, so that they are strictly isolated,” the statement said.

In addition to this case, “until now, several positive samples that could be due to the VOC 202012/01 variant are being sequenced by the laboratories” of the National Reference Center, the Ministry added.