Many cases of the British coronavirus variant have been detected in Osaka and Hyogo prefectures, and mutated forms of the virus are spreading elsewhere in Japan.
The U.K. variant contains a mutation called N501Y that reportedly makes it 1.7 times more transmissible than the original form of the virus.
The variant became the most prevalent form of the virus in Britain within just two or three months of it first being detected there in autumn 2020. It has since spread to 130 nations, according to the World Health Organization, and countries including France and Italy have implemented citywide lockdowns in response.
Some reports claim the U.K. variant might be associated with an increased risk of severe symptoms or death.
In March, the University of Exeter in England released a research paper that indicated the risk of dying from the variant was possibly about 1.6 times higher, compared to previously circulating forms of the virus.
The U.K. variant was easily transmissible among all age groups, which has raised concerns that infections could spread among children, who had been less susceptible to the conventional form of the virus.
Multiple cases of another variant have been reported in Tokyo and Sendai, compounding the situation. The latest variant carries the E484K mutation and was confirmed in about 80% of the 208 COVID-19 patients identified in Sendai during February and March. It has been said that this mutation might reduce the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, but details about its infectiousness and risk of causing severe health problems are not yet known.
Japan has also had cases of variants from South Africa and Brazil, which feature a combination of these mutations.
Virology expert Kouichi Morita, dean of the Institute of Tropical Medicine at Nagasaki University, said: "There aren't any special precautions to deal with these variants. As they might spread more easily than the conventional coronavirus, the only option is to continue carefully implementing the measures that have been taken so far, such as washing hands and avoiding areas that are close-contact settings, crowded and poorly ventilated."
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