PARIS – The French authorities warn of a new coronavirus variant in the northwestern region of Brittany that has escaped detection by standard PCR tests.
Although more difficult to detect, “initial analyzes of this new variant do not suggest increased severity or increased transmissibility,” the Health Department said in a statement late Monday.
The World Health Organization has placed this new species in the “research variant” category for bypassing PCR tests. This category includes most of the thousands of naturally occurring variants – only a small fraction of which will cause public health problems – as opposed to the “health variants” category, which includes strains found in Brazil, the UK and South Africa.
An in-depth investigation is underway in Brittany, after eight cases were identified as carriers of the sequencing variant in a cluster of 79 cases in the city of Lannion.
The announcement came as France battles a resurgence in coronavirus cases, with President Emmanuel Macron warning that new lockdown measures could be coming in the coming days.
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