London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 04, 2025

UK authorities’ plea for mystery person infected with ‘Brazilian’ Covid-19 strain to come forward

UK authorities’ plea for mystery person infected with ‘Brazilian’ Covid-19 strain to come forward

Health officials in England are looking for an unidentified person who was infected with a mutated ‘Brazilian variant’ of SARS-CoV-19 and slipped under the radar. They are one of six known cases in the UK.

The P1 strain was first detected in people coming to Japan from the Brazilian city of Manus and resembles the so-called South African variant, which is more infectious than ‘regular’ variants of the virus. Samples collected from six individuals were sequenced as part of the UK’s national research of Covid-19 mutations. Public Health England (PHE) could not determine who provided one of them, the organisation reported on Sunday.

The mystery person’s test was initially processed on February 14, before being added to the sequencing queue. The PHE is calling on those who provided samples on the two previous days and who had not received a result or had not completed their test registration card to come forward immediately. The sample was likely collected at home or at a local site conducting a testing surge, health officials believe.

There are two other P1 variant cases in a household in South Gloucestershire. Both individuals arrived in London on February 10 via a Swiss Air flight from Sao Paulo through Zurich. Two more people in the same household tested positive for Covid-19, but it will take more time before their samples can be sequenced to determine which variant of the coronavirus affected them.

The three other cases were detected in Scotland and connected to a flight to Aberdeen from Brazil via Paris and London. Scottish authorities said the three self-isolated at home as they were supposed to, and that further transmission was unlikely.

The same was said of the two cases in England, but, nevertheless, a week-long surge testing was launched for people in five postcode areas of South Gloucestershire. Sara Blackmore, South Gloucestershire’s public health director, said the measure was precautionary and the identified infections were a “very contained situation”.

P1 is one of several variants that epidemiologists consider concerning. It has several mutations similar to the B1.351 lineage, which was first identified in South Africa. A possibly more contagious variant designated B1.1.7 also emerged in the UK itself. It remains unclear if it is possible to contain the P1 strain or whether failing to do so would have major consequences for the development of the epidemic in the country.


All the five known cases happened before the British government introduced tougher quarantine measures for people arriving on international flights. The restrictions, including a mandatory stay at a quarantine hotel, had been announced in late January, but did not come into force until February 15. The quarantine applies for travellers arriving in England from 33 “red list” countries and to all international travellers arriving in Scotland.

The opposition said the discovery of the P1 variant on British soil showed that the Tory government was too slow in mandating the quarantine. Labour’s Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds called the delay “reckless” and said that “the continuing refusal to put in place a comprehensive system leaves us exposed to mutations coming from overseas.”

Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccines minister, defended government measures, saying the system it introduced was “robust”.

“If you look at this case, actually if anything it says our border controls are pretty robust because the individual did have a pre-departure test, they did have a passenger locator form,” he said.

With the identity of the carrier unknown, some commenters online speculated in jest if it could be someone connected to the government, while others vented off general frustration about the situation.



Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
×