More than 20 new cases of Indian COVID-19 variant found in Japan

Japan Times -- Apr 27

The government on Monday said it has so far detected more than 20 cases of the Indian variant of COVID-19 in Japan — a rise in the number of cases of the potentially worrisome new strain that some fear could prove more resistant to existing vaccines.

“According to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, a total of 21 cases were confirmed in the country, of which 20 were found in airport quarantine and one was confirmed among domestic cases,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato, the government’s top spokesman, told a news conference Monday.

The government acknowledged for the first time last week that it had detected five cases of the "double mutant" variant, which has the features of two different viral mutations. India has also detected a “triple mutant” variant, and Kato said that the health ministry was looking into the situation.

The double variant, officially known as B.1.617, was first detected in India in October. India has become the global COVID-19 hot spot in recent weeks, setting world records for daily case numbers.

Although it's unclear whether the new variant has fueled the explosive spread of cases, the existence of the new strain has unnerved many observers, who fear it could impact the effectiveness of vaccines.

Apr 27 (ANNnewsCH) - 新型コロナに感染し、死亡した人が全国で1万人を超えたことがANNのまとめで分かりました。東京ではインドで感染が広がっている変異ウイルスの感染が確認されました。  東京都・小池知事:「インド株が都内でも見つかっています。それがどういうものなのか分からないことがかえって怖いです」  東京都は26日、国立感染症研究所の検査で新型コロナに感染していた80代の女性の検体からインド由来の変異型が検出されたと明らかにしました。