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Monday, December 28, 2020
Test in Lower Saxony
Mutation in the country since November
The Corona B1.1.7 variant, which is widespread in Britain, has been in Germany since November. In a Lower Saxony couple who became infected in November, doctors are now determining the mutation, which is likely to be more infectious.
England’s new variant of the coronavirus was first detected in Lower Saxony. The Hannover Medical School (MHH) was able to determine the B1.1.7 virus variant retrospectively in a November infection, the Lower Saxony Ministry of Health said. These are samples from a very elderly Covid patient who has since died with previous illnesses and his wife. The reference laboratory of the Charité in Berlin confirmed the result.
The new variant of the virus is now responsible for a large share of infections in southern England and, based on initial findings, may be particularly contagious. According to the ministry, the patient’s daughter was in England in mid-November and was probably infected there. The daughter and wife of the deceased have already recovered. According to the findings of the Hannover region health department, there were no further infections in connection with these cases.
The head of the crisis team of the Lower Saxony state government, Heiger Scholz, expressed his condolences to the relatives. “The emergence of the variant of the virus is another reason for all of us to adhere particularly strictly to the contact restrictions and applicable hygiene measures,” said the Secretary of State for Health. “As long as we do this, we are depriving any variant of the virus of the possibility of spreading.” Scholz had previously reported in an interview with Radio FFN about the appearance of the new variant in Lower Saxony.
A case was already established on December 20
By contrast, the passenger who tested positive at Hannover airport before Christmas did not have Britain’s variant of the coronavirus, as announced by the Hannover region on Monday. Due to the mutation, the entry of 63 passengers from London was initially stopped on December 20. Camp beds were set up for them in a terminal, only one person tested positive. She and her family were taken to their destination in a quarantine transport, where they were supposed to isolate themselves. No further details were provided for data protection reasons.
After the mutation became known, most EU states decided to heavily restrict travel to and from Britain. In Germany, the B1.1.7 virus variant was also found in a woman who flew from London to Frankfurt am Main on December 20. The mutated type of virus has now also been detected in other countries such as Denmark or the Netherlands.
