First cases of Brazil covid variant detected in UK

UK health officials say six cases of a coronavirus variant first detected in Brazil have been found in Britain.

Three people tested positive for the variant in Scotland and another three in England, including one person who authorities have been unable to trace.

The P.1 variant shares some mutations with a variant first identified in South Africa, and there are fears it could be more contagious and resistant to vaccines.

First detected in the jungle city of Manuas, it is said to have been responsible for a devastating second wave there, during which hospitals ran out of oxygen supplies.

Susan Hopkins is from Public Health England:

"So, this P.1 variant is more transmissible than the original strains we saw from this virus. It is likely to have more antigenic change and therefore increase the risk of reinfections. And while we don't know the response to vaccine yet, we are concerned that we don't have spread of this that may impact on our vaccine programme."

One of the English cases is yet to be identified because the individual who took the test did not complete their registration card.

Health officials are now scrambling to track that person down.

They're appealing for everyone who took a test on February 12 or 13, but did not receive their result to contact authorities.

The other English and Scottish cases have all been linked to people who recently travelled abroad.

Late last year Britain detected a more transmissible variant of coronavirus that is believed to have originated near London.

The so-called Kent variant led to a sharp rise in cases in the country and has spread worldwide.