Mallorca: Brazilian coronavirus variant discovered

Palma. The virus variant P1, discovered for the first time in Brazil, has now also arrived on Mallorca – this was confirmed by the head of microbiology at Palma’s Son Espases hospital, Antonio Oliver, at a press conference on Wednesday. The mutation was discovered the day before during a routine more detailed examination, the so-called sequencing, of a positive PCR test on March 29th. In Germany, it had caused considerable anger that tens of thousands of Germans had traveled to the popular holiday island in the Mediterranean for an Easter holiday.

Source of infection at a sporting event on Mallorca

At the end of March, there was a source of infection at a sporting event on the island and private contacts, said Oliver. 49 people were tested for Corona at the time, nine of them positive. The infected had no or only slight symptoms of the disease and some of them were already healthy again. Now the other eight positive tests should also be examined to see whether it was also P1.

The nine cases were not related to the other Brazilian corona variant B.1.1.28, which was discovered in Mallorca in March and is considered less dangerous, emphasized the virologist. At the time, the SPD health politician Karl Lauterbach assumed that the Balearic government had hushed up a P1 fund and was tricking the low corona numbers. That had caused outrage on the island.

The corona numbers in the Balearic Islands, to which Mallorca belongs, are still relatively low. The seven-day incidence is 32.95, according to the Spanish Ministry of Health in Madrid. For comparison: In Germany this value was 153 on Wednesday with an upward trend.

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