Many countries expect the impact of B.1.1.7 to come.
This is a disturbing possibility in the United States, which has long had the largest coronavirus outbreak in the world and in the midst of a boom after the holidays. Federal health experts warned on Friday in serious terms that B.1.1.7 would probably be the biggest source of infection in the country by March.
Nearly 20 European countries have found B.1.1.7 so far. On Saturday, Denmark said in Denmark that more than 250 cases had been detected in samples taken since November. The country’s health minister predicted that the variant would dominate by mid-February. The country’s coronavirus monitor also reported that it had identified a case of the variant found in South Africa, reports Reuters.
Many countries in Europe are doubling their mitigation efforts. A nationwide 6-hour curfew went into effect in France on Saturday and authorities have warned they could impose strict closure measures. Scotland has already tightened strict restrictions, including banning liquor outside and banning customers from stepping into institutions to buy takeaways or coffee. Britain and Germany closed schools.
In stark contrast, authorities in Spain refused to draft a new nationwide exclusion, arguing that the recent discovery of dozens of cases of the variant was not to blame for a record spike in infections.
On Saturday, Britain reported eight cases of one of the variants found in Brazil, hours after the British authorities imposed a travel ban on Latin American countries and Portugal, which is linked to Brazil by its colonial history and by the current travel and trade ties. Italy has also suspended flights from Brazil, its health minister Roberto Speranza announced on Facebook.
A leading epidemiologist said a second variant discovered in Brazil was probably already in Britain.
“We are one of the most connected countries in the world, so I would find it unusual if we did not import some cases into the UK,” said Professor John Edmunds, a member of a group of scientists who told the government about the pandemic advises, said about the second variant, which was found in the Brazilian city of Manaus.