People walk in the rain on the Place du Trocadero near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, Jan. 13, 2021. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)
Initial analysis showed that the new strain, which was found on Saturday in a cluster of cases in northwestern France, did not show signs of increased transmissibility or severity.
PARIS, March 16 (Xinhua) -- A new coronavirus strain has been detected in Brittany, northwestern France, and so far it has not appeared to be more severe or more transmissible, the country's Health Ministry said late on Monday.
The new variant was found on Saturday in a cluster of cases in a hospital center in Lannion, where 79 infections were identified, including 8 cases with the variant, said the ministry in a statement.
The initial analysis of this new strain did not show signs of increased transmissibility or severity, it added.
"In-depth investigations are underway to better understand this variant and its impact. Experiments will also take place to determine how this variant reacts to vaccination and to the antibodies developed during previous infections," the statement read.
A woman walks her dog in Arras, Pas-de-Calais, France, March 7, 2021. (Photo by Sai Basidian·kuerji/Xinhua)
The highly contagious variants of the COVID-19 virus identified in Britain, Brazil and South Africa have already been detected in France.
Currently, the strain detected in Britain accounts for 67 percent of new infections in France, while the variants identified in Brazil and South Africa make up 6 percent, according to data released by health authorities.
Since the coronavirus outbreak, over 4 million people in France have tested positive for COVID-19, of whom 90,762 lost their lives. As of Monday, 25,469 COVID-19 patients were in hospital, including 4,219 in intensive care.
As the world is struggling to contain the pandemic, vaccination is underway in an increasing number of countries including France with the already-authorized coronavirus vaccines.
Meanwhile, 263 candidate vaccines are still being developed worldwide -- 81 of them in clinical trials -- in countries including Germany, China, Russia, Britain, and the United States, according to information released by the World Health Organization on Friday. ■
