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U.K. Narrows Search for Missing Person With Brazil Virus Variant

U.K. Narrows Search for Missing Person With Brazil Virus Variant

The search for an unidentified person in the U.K. who tested positive for a Brazilian coronavirus variant has narrowed to 379 households in the south of England as the government tries to stop its further spread.

“We’ve identified the batch of home tests in question,” Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Tuesday in the House of Commons. “We have no information to suggest the variant has spread further.”

Health officials are trying to track down the sixth case of a person who’s carrying the variant of the disease, which originated in the Amazonian city of Manaus, because of concerns that it may respond less well to current vaccines. Hancock said the impact of shots on this strain hasn’t yet been studied.

“We do know this variant has caused significant challenges in Brazil,” Hancock said. The person in question failed to complete their test registration card, making follow-up details unavailable.

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.