In Salzburg, a second suspected case of infection with the variant of the corona virus, which is rampant in India, was officially confirmed on Saturday. It is a person from the immediate environment of the infected Indian woman living in Flachgau, who was first known a few days ago for the “high level suspicion” of said mutation, said Franz Wieser, spokesman for the state.
The sequencing result expected for the middle to the end of next week will bring certainty in both cases. The Indian woman returned to Salzburg from her homeland last week. On Tuesday, she carried out a rapid corona test at work, which turned out positive.
PCR test confirmed infection
The subsequent PCR test confirmed the infection. During the screening, the suspicion of the Indian mutation emerged. The woman and her family have been quarantined. In the case of a sick member, the suspicion was confirmed on Saturday that it was also infected with the virus mutation. Wieser could not provide any further details about the person.
The Indian virus variant B.1617 is a dangerous combination of the mutations from Great Britain and South Africa. It is still unclear whether this form is more deadly than previous mutations. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), preliminary study results suggest that B.1617 is spreading faster than other corona variants circulating in India.