A positive case of the British variant of the coronavirus was confirmed in the Hautes-Alpes by the analysis of the samples carried out by the National Reference Center, announced on Sunday January 10 the Regional Health Agency (ARS) Provence-Alpes-Côte- Azure.
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The person positive for this variant is part of a French family residing in the United Kingdom who came to stay in France during the end of year holidays, specifies the ARS.
This person and his at-risk contact cases were placed in isolation upon receipt of the positive result of the RT-PCR analysis.
This British variant of the coronavirus, a likely more contagious version, is one of the main sources of concern at the start of the year.
Thus, a “
probable
” cluster of the British variant was discovered in Marseille, according to the prefect of Bouches-du-Rhône, after a first case identified within a French family living in the United Kingdom who came to spend the holidays in France.
The viral situation in the Phocaean city is "
worrying
", said the mayor of the city Benoît Paysan on Sunday.
To determine the extent of the circulation in France of the strain from across the Channel, a national survey was launched in order to "
make a first mapping
" of its distribution, explained Friday Bruno Coignard, of the public health agency. France.
Positive test swabs will be reanalyzed using a special PCR technique which reacts differently if the British variant is present.
