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France has detected a new strain of covid-19 in the Brittany region that appears to evade swab testing.
While the ‘Breton variant’ isn’t believed to be deadlier or more contagious, it appears to avoid detection with PCR tests, which involve swabbing the throat and nose.
Such tests are used to rapidly identify new cases and clamp down on transmission in the community.
French health authorities said that a cluster of eight cases was discovered in a hospital in Lannion, a northwestern town in Côtes d’Armour, Brittany, on 13 March.
While each of the patients returned a negative PCR test, their infections emerged after sequencing of their swab samples. It is believed to be the first instance that covid-19 has mutated in a way that can avoid testing.
Pictured: Patients with the Breton variant returned negative PCR tests despite having Covid-19.
The Breton strain has now been officially classified a “variant under investigation” by France’s health ministry.
“Initial analysis of this new variant has been unable to draw conclusions about its severity or transmissibility in comparison to the historic virus. In-depth investigations are underway to better understand this variant and its impact,” officials said.
They added that research into the Breton variant’s reaction to the vaccine and antibodies developed during previous covid infections was being undertaken.
International health authorities have been alerted, though the Breton variant is not considered to be of concern like the more transmissible UK, South African and Brazilian variants.
Pictured: French researchers are trying to find out how the Breton variant responds to the covid vaccine.
Côtes d’Armour has since responded by making outdoor masks compulsory across the whole département.
Guernsey announced its plans to resume commercial travel last week. Under the Bailiwick Blueprint, there will be no restrictions on inter-island travel within the ‘Bailiwick Bubble’ – Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and Herm – from 22 March.
Five weeks later – from 30 April – border restrictions will be loosened further, with quarantine requirements based on where the traveller comes from and how serious the prevalence of Covid is there.
The regions fall into four broad categories, based on increasing levels of prevalence. Travellers from a Category 4 region, for example, will be tested on arrival and on day 13 of a 14-day period of self-isolation. Anyone declining a test will need to self-isolate for 21 days.
Pictured: Guernsey will allow restriction-free travel within the 'Bailiwick Bubble' from 22 March, subject to final approval this week by the CCA.
If all goes well, Bailiwick borders will re-open fully on 1 July, with no country or regional variations. However, this will still be subject to the first phase of Guernsey’s vaccine programme having been delivered. A single test at the border, or administered pre-travel, may still be needed, depending on Public Health concerns.
Ferry provider Condor welcomed the news, having days earlier said that it would be removing the requirement for passengers to get a negative PCR test in advance of travelling with them when they plan to restart their services in May.
Meanwhile, Jersey's Government is holding a press conference this Friday announcing its own plans to re-open the island’s borders.
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