Credit: Paul Hanna / Bloomberg via Getty Images
(CNN) -
Four people in Madrid were diagnosed with the covid-19 variant detected in the UK earlier this month, the region's health adviser, Antonio Zapatero, reported during a press conference on Saturday.
According to Zapatero, one of the infected people arrived from the United Kingdom and was diagnosed on Thursday.
The other three are members of his family, who went to the hospital after presenting symptoms.
"The situation of confirmed patients [is not] serious," Zapatero said, asking for caution but also asking people to remain calm.
"We know that this variant is more transmissible, but it does not cause a more severe reaction."
advertising
LOOK: Genetics experts fear that coronavirus vaccines will not work as well against the UK variant
"There are three other suspected cases whose test results should be ready by Tuesday or Wednesday," Zapatero added.
The UK variant has an unusually large number of mutations - 14 changes and 3 deletions in its genetic code that affect the building blocks of its proteins, according to the US CDC.
Scientists advising the UK government have made a preliminary estimate that this variant could be up to 70% more effective at spreading than others.
covid-19
