Coronavirus: Sweden has detected the first case of …

Sweden has joined countries affected by novel strain of coronavirus, after registering the first case of a person infected with the new variant of the virus originating in the United Kingdom.

“It has been confirmed that a person in Sodermanland province is infected with the mutated strain of the coronavirus,” Swedish Public Health Agency official Sara Byfors confirmed. The mutation, he added, was detected in a Swedish citizen in compulsory quarantine after returning from the UK.

Denmark was among the first countries where contagion by this strain was detected. This led the Swedish authorities to decide, last Monday, to temporarily close the borders with the United Kingdom and this neighboring country.

Since the start of the pandemic, Sweden has recorded more than 396,000 people infected with covid-19 and 8,279 deaths from the disease.

New variant of the coronavirus

On December 19, British health authorities confirmed the presence in the south of the United Kingdom of a new strain of SARS-CoV-2 which is spreading faster and could be 70% more contagious.

At this time, there is no evidence that this mutation affects symptom severity, death rate, antibody response, or vaccine effectiveness.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported yesterday that the strain in question has already been reported in eight European countries. In addition, another strain of the new coronavirus has been recorded in South Africa.

At the same time, many countries have already announced the suspension of flights from the United Kingdom and South Africa to prevent the spread of new strains of the virus.