UK coronavirus variant gains momentum

The latest round of molecular testing of SARS-CoV-2 samples indicates the continued proliferation of the British variant, with the more deadly South Africa strain appearing with much smaller frequency.

Out of 400 samples tested by the Genomic Surveillance Network from February 13 to March 8, 371 were classified as variants of concern with the vast majority, 368, being identified as the British strain and just three as the South African strain.

Of 940 samples collected between January 22 and March 1, 702 were found to be variants of concern and of those 677 were identified as Lineage B.1.1.7, or the British variant, and 21 as B.1.351, or the South African variant.

Overall, since molecular testing for coronavirus strains began, over 2,047 cases of the British variant have been identified in Greece and 51 of the South African variant.