Corona variant from South Africa "with a very high probability already in Germany"

Experts are worried not only about the number of infections, but also about the next corona mutation from South Africa.

The suspicion: The new variant has long been in Germany.

Update from November 27th, 1.30 p.m.:

After it became known in the morning that there should be a suspected Omikron case in Germany, the Saarland state chief Tobias Hans is now calling for a quick conference of the prime ministers. The

quotes

the CDU politician

as saying that it is “zero hour in the fight against pandemics” again, which is why a solidarity between the old and the new federal government is necessary

.

"Every day counts," Hans said in a letter from the State Chancellery in Saarbrücken.

As long as one no longer knows about Omikron, the “vaccination turbo” has to be ignited.

However, at least the vaccine manufacturer of Astrazeneca, Andrew Pollard, does not expect the pandemic to restart.

"It is very unlikely that there will be a restart of the pandemic in a vaccinated population like last year," said Pollard, according to

.

Adaptation of the vaccine to the mutation is possible.

Corona variant from South Africa "with a very high probability already in Germany"

First report from November 27th:

Wiesbaden - The concerns of many experts could now apparently be confirmed: As the Hessian Minister of Social Affairs Kai Klose announced on Saturday morning via Twitter, the Corona variant Omikron * should now have arrived in Germany.

On Friday evening, several mutations typical for the variant were found in a person returning from South Africa.

Corona variant B.1.1.529 from South Africa: Omikron probably detected in Germany

On Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified the virus variant as "worrying" *, the first case to have occurred in Germany.

Hesse's Minister of Social Affairs, Klose, wrote on Twitter: "The Omikron variant has, with a very high degree of probability, already arrived in Germany." Since typical mutations were found in a person returning from South Africa, there is now "a high level of suspicion."

The person is now in domestic isolation.

More is not known at the current time, as the complete sequencing is still pending.

Klose continues to urge all those returning from southern Africa to reduce contacts and get tested as soon as possible.

Several mutations typical of Omicron were found last night on a returnee from South Africa.

So there is a high level of suspicion that the person has been isolated at home.

The complete sequencing is still pending at the current time.

- Kai Klose (@StM_Klose) November 27, 2021

The man entered via Frankfurt Airport.

The

news agency reported on this

.