Northern Ireland on Wednesday confirmed a positive test for the highly infectious variant of the coronavirus that has emerged in Britain.
Northern Ireland’s Department of Health said in a statement that the variant is likely to have been present in the British-run region for a period of time.
There was no evidence to suggest the variant causes more serious illness or a higher mortality rate or that it affects vaccines and treatments, it added.
The new variant of the pandemic SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is spreading rapidly in Britain and prompting high levels of concern among its European neighbors, some of which have cut transport links.
“While virus mutation is not uncommon,…
Keep on reading: Northern Ireland confirms positive case of COVID-19 variant