Detection of the first case of the Brazilian virus strain in Canada

Toronto health officials announced on Sunday that a resident had been diagnosed with the Brazilian variant of COVID-19, marking the first known case of the mutated virus in Canada.

The patient has been hospitalized, Toronto Public Health (TPH) said in a statement. He had recently traveled from Brazil.

TPH also said it found the first case of the South African coronavirus variant in Canada’s largest city, although the strain has already been detected elsewhere in the country.

“Scientists and medical professionals are concerned that these variants are more transmissible than the original coronavirus,” TPH said.

The resident with the South African strain had no recent travel history and no known contact with recently returned travelers, TPH added.

The Brazilian variant has been blamed for a disastrous spike in infections in the Brazilian city of Manaus.

It has already been spotted in Europe, as well as Colombia and the United States.

Toronto health officials have now detected 27 confirmed cases of the “variant of concern” in the city of about 3 million people.

Canada, with a population of over 38 million, has recorded more than 800,000 cases of coronavirus and more than 20,000 deaths.

© 2021 AFP