France discovers three cases of “Indian” variant of Covid-19
France detected three cases of the B.1.617 variant of Covid-19 currently sweeping India, the health ministry said on Friday with a third person testing positive on arrival from the South Asian nation. The three patients are currently in isolation and contact tracking has been done, the ministry added.
In a statement posted on Twitter, French Health Minister Olivier Véran said that the third person who tested positive for the Covid-19 variant after arriving from India is currently isolating himself in a hotel and that contact tracing has been done around him.
A 3rd positive patient in variant India has been diagnosed since his arrival in France, confirmed in sequencing. He is currently isolated in a hotel at the decision of the Prefect, and the contact tracing around him has been realized. https://t.co/JdmNCGSGJl
– Olivier Véran (@olivierveran) April 30, 2021
A first case involving a woman who traveled to India and lives in southwestern France was confirmed on Thursday.
The three patients were “fine” with none of them suffering from “severe forms” of infection and showed “little or no symptoms”, Benoît Elleboode, head of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine health care agency, told a news conference on Friday. All three people are under 55 years old.
The danger of variation must not be underestimated
In an interview with France Info radio, Véran said that it was still unclear whether available Covid-19 vaccines were effective against the Indian variant, and he added that the danger of this variant should not be underestimated.
The discovery of the third case came when French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday said that vaccinations against Covid-19 will be open to all adults from June 15, regardless of medical condition.
People over 50 will be able to sign up for a jab from May 15, he added on Twitter, compared to an age limit of 55 at present.
Macron also announced a four-step plan to lift the Covid-19 restrictions as of Monday, May 3rd. The ban on domestic travel will be lifted from Monday, but the exit ban for 19:00 will remain in place.
On May 19, non-essential shops will be allowed to reopen and the curfew will be postponed from 19:00 to 21:00 local time. Restaurants and cafes will be able to welcome customers outdoors, with a maximum of six people per table.
Museums, theaters, cinemas and sports facilities are also reopening, with a limit of 800 people indoors and 1,000 outdoors. Private gatherings with more than ten people remain prohibited and working from home is encouraged as much as possible.
‘Variants of concerns’
The B.1.617 variant has been reported in about 17 countries, raising global concerns. It contains two key mutations to the outer “nail” part of the virus that attaches to human cells, says senior Indian virologist Shahid Jameel.
India on Friday posted another record daily rise in coronavirus cases with 386,452 new infections, while deaths from Covid-19 rose by 3,498 in the last 24 hours, according to the Indian Ministry of Health.
However, experts warn that the real figures in the world’s second most populous country, with a population of 1.3 billion, are much higher than the official figures.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the predominant lineage of B.1.617 was first identified in India in December last year, although an earlier version was discovered in October 2020.
The WHO has described it as a “variant of interest”, suggesting that it may have mutations that would make the virus more contagious, cause more serious illness or avoid vaccine immunity.
Other strains with known risks, such as those first discovered in the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa, have been categorized as “variants of concern”, a higher level of threat.
( Jowharwith AFP and REUTERS)
