MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th March, 2021) Germany has registered the first case of the Nigerian coronavirus variant, B.1.525, the Bild newspaper reports.
Besides Nigeria, cases of the new coronavirus strain have already been found in several European countries, including Slovenia, Italy, Denmark, as well as in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada. It was first discovered in December 2020.
Bild reported on Monday citing the genetic diagnostics and rare disease company Centogene that the new variant was detected in a sample taken at the coronavirus testing center at the Berlin-Brandenburg Airport. According to Centogene, the infected individual was from the eastern German state of Saxony.
According to Bild, the Nigerian strain is similar to the UK coronavirus variant, also known as B.1.1.7. At the same time, it also has links to the South African and Brazilian strains.
Centogene has been studying samples taken at COVID-19 testing centers since the start of this year, to detect new coronavirus mutations.
