France, from bad to worse: the dreaded South African strain has arrived

he Ministry of Health of France confirmed today to have detected the first case in this country of new strain of Covid-19 arose in Sudfricaa few days later, they found the first positive for the new British strain.

This South African variant, presented as more contagious, was diagnosed Wednesday in a man residing in Alsace, near the border with Switzerland, and who was returning from a trip to South Africa.

When he arrived in France, he experienced symptoms of covid and underwent a PCR test in Switzerland. The result was positive and virus sequencing confirmed that it was infected with the 501.V2 variant which emerged in October in South Africa, where it fired an aggressive second wave.

The infected man, already in good condition, was immediately isolated at his home.or after the onset of the first symptoms “and” no risky contact has been identified.

A first case of the new British strain of Covid-19 had already been confirmed in France on December 25 in Tours, in a Frenchman returning from London.

Anyone traveling from the UK and South Africa to France must take a mandatory test for the coronavirus. In the event that it is positive, sequencing is done to determine if it is infected with one of the newer variants of covid-19.