The Belgian authorities say the young man has nothing to do with South Africa or South African countries, but she developed symptoms 11 days after traveling between Turkey and Egypt.
The information was confirmed on Friday by the Minister of Health of Belgium Frank Vandenbruck. “We have a confirmed case of this option. This is someone who came from abroad, tested positive on November 22nd and was not vaccinated. “– pointed out the ruler.
The patient in question had a high viral load at the time of diagnosis and developed severe symptoms.
In the meantime, the minister called for calmness and restraint: “This is a suspicious option, we do not know if it is very dangerous.”
In recent hours, several countries around the world have suspended – or are preparing to suspend – connecting flights to southern Africa, where the first cases of the new variant have been identified.
The suspension of flights should also include “other affected countries”.
This afternoon, minutes after the Belgian government confirmed the first case in Europe, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, advocated that all air services with countries with reported cases of the new option should be suspended until further information on Option B.1.1.529 became known.
“All air links with these countries should be suspended until we get a clearer picture of the danger this new option poses.“, – said the European leader at a press conference, referring to the countries of southern Africa, where the first cases of the disease were detected.
He stressed that travelers returning from the region must also “abide by strict quarantine rules.”
However, the official also mentioned the suspension of flights involving “other affected countries”, without specifying which ones. This Friday morning, Ursula von der Leyen announced a European Union proposal to activate the braking mechanism to suspend flights from southern Africa to EU member states.
It should be noted that Belgium, the country where the first case of the new variant was reported in Europe, hosts most of the headquarters and institutions of the European Union.
“We take news of a highly mutated new variant very seriously. We know that mutations can lead to the emergence and spread of even more variants of the virus that can spread around the world in a few months, so this is important now. that all of us in Europe are acting very quickly, decisively and united, ”he said. Ainda Ursula von der Leyen.
This is the first time a new variant has appeared in Europe. on the day that World Health Organization experts meet in Geneva to discuss the latest Covid-19 variantto indicate an option of “interest” or “concern”.
The available information on this option and its significance in terms of transferability and immunity are also discussed.
According to scientists, variant B.1.1.529 contains a total of 32 unusual mutations in the protein Thorn, part of the virus that most vaccines use to prepare the immune system against Covid-19.… This is roughly double the number of mutations found in the highly transmissible variant of Delta.
These mutations can affect the virus’s ability to spread, but they can also make it harder for the cells of the immune system to resist.
