Health officials in the UK are trying to track down a person infected with a Brazilian variant of COVID-19 – one of six cases found in the country in February, according to a report.
The person did not fill out a registration form after using a home testing kit, prompting an appeal for anyone with no result from a test on February 12 or 13 to come forward, the BBC reported.
The P1 variant was first discovered in January among travelers to Japan from Manaus in northern Brazil, the news outlet said.
There were concerns that the vaccines may not be as effective against the Brazilian variant, but Professor Stephen Powis of the UK’s National Health Service said the shots “can be adapted quickly.”
Dr. Susan Hopkins of Public Health England said the UK is more advanced than many other countries in identifying the variants and mutations, the BBC reported.
As of February 15, travelers arriving in England from 33 countries, including Brazil, are required to pay for 10 days in quarantine in a hotel, while in Scotland the rule applies to international travelers from all countries.
Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said it was not known whether the unidentified person being sought had recently been abroad, so it was unclear whether the individual would have isolated himself while infected.
“We need to find them as soon as possible,” Zahawi told BBC Breakfast, adding that health authorities along with the mail were trying to locate the person.