Prognosis
Japan Says It Found New Coronavirus Variant Similar to U.K. Strain
- New variant has similarities to U.K., South Africa strains
- Japan’s authorities investigating infectiousness of new strain
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Japan’s National Institute of Infectious Diseases said authorities have found a new strain of the coronavirus in four passengers arriving from Brazil.
The new variant has similarities to strains found in the U.K. and South Africa, the NIID said in a statement on Sunday. The information about the new variant is limited to its genetic make-up, and it’s difficult to immediately determine how infectious the strain is or the effectiveness of current vaccines against it, the institute said.