- Reaction score
- 1,677
The majority of new COVID-19 cases in Europe stem from a mutated strain of the coronavirus that has been traced back to Spain and was spread across the continent over the summer by tourists, scientists said in a report Thursday.
The variant most likely originated in farm workers in northeastern Spain, where it was first recorded in June, they said.
The team of scientists from the University of Basel, ETH Zürich in Basel, and SeqCOVID in Spain said a suspected "superspreader" event accounted for early proliferation of the virus, which was then spread abroad by tourists and other travelers.
By October, the variant had been identified in 12 countries across the continent, as well as in Hong Kong and New Zealand, they said.
There is no data yet to suggest this variant is more deadly, they said.
The variant of SARS-CoV-2, known as 20A.EU1, had spread to at least six European countries by late July.
Hundreds of variants of the virus are present in Europe, but few are as widespread as the 20A.EU1 cluster, the scientists said.
Read more here. (Business Insider)
The variant most likely originated in farm workers in northeastern Spain, where it was first recorded in June, they said.
The team of scientists from the University of Basel, ETH Zürich in Basel, and SeqCOVID in Spain said a suspected "superspreader" event accounted for early proliferation of the virus, which was then spread abroad by tourists and other travelers.
By October, the variant had been identified in 12 countries across the continent, as well as in Hong Kong and New Zealand, they said.
There is no data yet to suggest this variant is more deadly, they said.
The variant of SARS-CoV-2, known as 20A.EU1, had spread to at least six European countries by late July.
Hundreds of variants of the virus are present in Europe, but few are as widespread as the 20A.EU1 cluster, the scientists said.
Read more here. (Business Insider)
