After COVID-19 variants were discovered in the United Kingdom and Africa, the Japanese health ministry has reportedly found a new coronavirus variant from Brazilian tourists that were different from the ones found in the UK and South Africa.
New COVID-19 Brazil Variant
According to Time Magazine, Japanese health ministry officials found the variant through airport swabs, with the ministry confirming the discovery last Sunday, January 10, 2021.
Based on the report, the new COVID-19 Brazil variant was found on a man in his 40s, a woman in her 30s, as well as two teens who all tested positive with coronavirus.
The man arrived in Japan with no symptoms but was hospitalized later on when he found it difficult to breathe, which is one of the most common symptoms associated with more moderate o severe cases of COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the middle-aged woman reportedly suffered from headaches, while one of the teens, a male, had a fever.
The last patient, a female teenager, was reportedly asymptomatic, according to the ministry.
State of Emergency
With the discovery, Japan is quickly working with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other countries to learn more about the new variant and whether the existing COVID-19 vaccines will be able to work against it.
The first two variations from the UK and Africa all centered on the virus' spike proteins, which means the current doses we have should work against them.
After the initial COVID-19 variants were discovered, Japan had reported 30 such cases, with health ministry officials worrying that the virus may spread faster, so as a response, a state of emergency has been declared in Tokyo, the country's capital, which started on Friday, January 8, 2021.
Nevertheless, some people are complaining that the declaration was not enough, saying that train stations are still jampacked and that eateries are still filled with people, especially during nighttime.
More News About Variant Likely to Follow
The country was able to fend off the disease better than most, with around 280,000 confirmed cases and around 4,000 deaths only, but if they are unable to fend off the next wave of the deadly disease, the numbers might rise.
As of now, Pfizer and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed in the United States and the UK, respectively, with senior citizens in elderly care homes and medical frontliners getting the first available doses.
The distribution of the vaccines has brought new hope to the general public that we might see the end of the pandemic sooner rather than later.
Nevertheless, the new variants were quick to dim that hope, with many fearing that the vaccines may not work against the UK and Africa variant, but experts continued to reassure everyone that the doses will still work and that we should not panic.
According to a previous report by Nikkei Asia, the UK and Africa COVID-19 variants were potentially 70% more infectious than the original, bringing new lockdown measures in many different countries.
Will the new Brazil variant have the same infection rate?
As of now, experts are still trying to learn more about it and we might hear more news soon.
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Written by: Nhx Tingson
