New strain of coronavirus has reached Spain and Sweden – News

The four Spanish cases are linked to people who recently arrived from the UK, according to Antonio Zapatero, deputy minister of public health of the region of Madrid, during a press conference.

The citizens had arrived in the country through the Madrid-Barajas airport. Three other suspected cases are being investigated for maintaining contact with one of the positives, the results of which will be known in the middle of next week.

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“The situation of confirmed patients is not serious, we know that this strain is more transmissible, but it does not cause more seriousness”, therefore “one should not take the news with any kind of nervousness”, Zapatero warned. .

This mutation of the virus, which experts consider more contagious, has prompted some 50 countries, including Spain, to impose travel restrictions with the United Kingdom.

In the case of Spain, only Spanish citizens and residents can enter from the UK.

For her part, in Sweden, the head of the Public Health Agency Sara Byfors confirmed at a press conference that the infected person belongs to “the province of Sodermanland” and was in compulsory quarantine after returning from the UK country.

WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge reported on Friday via Twitter that this strain is already present in eight countries of the European continent, which he did not specify.

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The variant also appears to be spreading among younger age groups, unlike previous strains. Vigilance is important during research to define its impact #UnitedActionForBetterHealth

– Hans Kluge (@hans_kluge) December 25, 2020

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“Eight countries in the European region have identified the new variant of covid-19 VOC-202012/01. It is vital to strengthen existing protective measures,” Kluge wrote.

For the moment, we know that it is in France, Germany, Italy, Belgium and Denmark, a list now joined by Spain and Sweden.

The news is known the same day that the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine arrive in its warehouses in Spain, a day before they begin to be distributed throughout the national territory to be administered in nursing homes.