Covid: Four more cases of Brazil variant found in England

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Four further cases of the Covid variant of concern first found in Brazil have been identified in England, bringing the total in the UK to 10.

Three cases of the P.1 variant are in South Gloucestershire and are said to be close or household contacts of the two existing cases in the area.

The other new case was identified in Bradford.

The person tested positive for Covid-19 in late February after travelling back from Brazil via Paris on 14 February.

Subsequent genomic sequencing identified the case as the P.1 variant, Public Health England said in a statement.

Thousands of positive Covid cases, from all across the UK, are sent for this further sequencing every week as scientists aim to identify any variants of the virus.

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The new South Gloucestershire cases were uncovered when people were offered testing in response to the initial cases found in the area last month - and those who tested positive had their results sent on for further analysis.

Specialist contact tracing teams are working to identify any further contacts and additional testing has been in place since the initial cases were identified.

Contact-tracers have advised close contacts of the individual in Bradford to isolate and get a test.

There are now seven cases of the P.1 variant in England and three in Scotland, all of which have links to travel or to a previously confirmed case that has travelled to Brazil.

Scientists have previously said the variant appears to be more contagious and there were concerns vaccines may not be as effective against it.

But Dr Susan Hopkins from Public Health England said last week it hoped vaccines would have a strong impact on reducing hospitalisations and deaths in cases of the new variant.

Separately, Public Health England said a new variant identified in the UK was designated a "variant under investigation" on 4 March, after two cases were found in the south-east of England in individuals who had recently been in Antigua.

It said the variant - known as VUI-202103/01 - contains the spike mutations E484K and N501Y, both usually associated with so-called "variants of concern".

But it added that "it does not feature specific deletions that would lead to a designation as a [variant of concern]".

No additional cases have yet been found.

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News that the Brazil variant had been found in the UK was released in February. Three cases were initially found in England, and separately three in Scotland.

The three cases in Scotland were all oil workers who were returning to their families from Brazil, via Paris and London.

In England, two of the cases are from the same household in South Gloucestershire who tested positive after someone returned from Brazil on 10 February.

The third case in England - now confirmed to be in Croydon - prompted intensive tracing efforts in the region as the identity of the person was initially unknown as he or she failed to register their test properly.

But that person was found at the end of last week and it was confirmed that he or she had "stayed at home" and there was no sign of any onward transmission.

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