Third Variant Virus Discovered in Japan Different from UK and South Africa Strains

Japan: "No Evidence of Higher Infectivity or Risk"
Brazil: "Potentially More Infectious"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Japanese health authorities have announced that a new variant of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), different from the variants previously identified in the United Kingdom and South Africa, has been detected in Brazilian travelers entering Japan, raising concerns about its spread. While Japanese health officials stated that it is still difficult to determine whether this new variant has stronger infectivity or poses greater risks compared to existing strains, Brazilian health authorities have expressed concerns that it may potentially be more infectious, suggesting future debates on the matter.

According to local Japanese media such as NHK on the 11th, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced the day before that a new variant of the virus, previously unconfirmed, was found in four Brazilian nationals who arrived at Tokyo Haneda Airport from Brazil. These four individuals arrived at Haneda Airport on the 2nd and tested positive at the airport quarantine station. Their virus samples were analyzed by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases. It is reported that three of them exhibited COVID-19 symptoms such as difficulty breathing, fever, and pain upon arrival at the airport.

Analysis revealed that their virus is a new type of variant with some mutations different from those circulating in the UK and South Africa. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare stated, "It has not yet been determined whether this variant has stronger infectivity or is more dangerous than existing viruses."

However, according to major foreign news agencies including the Associated Press, after being informed by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare about the variant infections among its nationals, the Brazilian Ministry of Health stated, "This variant possesses about 12 mutations compared to existing viruses, and one of these mutations is the same as those found in the UK and South African variants, potentially indicating higher infectivity." It is expected that future research results will clarify the exact infectivity and risk levels.

On the same day, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare also announced that three additional cases of infection with the UK-origin variant were confirmed in Japan. This brings the total number of variant virus infections in Japan to 34. Meanwhile, Russian health authorities also reported their first confirmed case of the UK-origin variant, indicating that the spread of variant viruses is intensifying further.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.