First Case of Brazilian Coronavirus Variant Found in Greece

Greece detected its first case of the Brazilian coronavirus variant on Friday. The viral mutation, officially called the “Gamma” variant, was first found in Japan in January, 2021 amongst travelers who had all been to Brazil.

The mutation is most widespread throughout the Americas, particularly in Brazil, the United States and Canada.

The Brazilian coronavirus variant has caused great concern amongst epidemiologists, as the mutation has been found to be much more contagious and more deadly than other variants of the virus.

Worryingly, some scientists believe that the mutation may be able to get past antibodies from the virus, possibly causing people who had already recovered from the virus recently to become reinfected.

Greece’s first case of the Brazilian coronavirus variant was found in Athens.

Greece records 791 coronavirus cases, 11 deaths

Greece recorded 791 new cases of Covid-19 on Friday, which marks just ten more instances of the virus than the 781 cases recorded on Thursday.

Just one of Friday’s total cases was identified during routine Covid-19 testing of tourists at the country’s borders.

Currently, there are 375 patients with the coronavirus on ventilators in Greece, which is the same number of patients as those undergoing the invasive treatment in the country yesterday, Thursday.

Tragically, 11 people suffering from the coronavirus passed away in the country over the past 24-hour period, which represents thirteen fewer than those who died with the virus on Thursday.

400 cases of Covid-19 diagnosed in Attica alone; 84 in Thessaloniki

Of the 791 new coronavirus cases recorded in Greece in the past 24 hours, 400 were located in Attica, home to the Greek capital city of Athens.

Instances of the virus were particularly high in the city itself, where 108 cases of Covid-19 were identified Friday.

Tests showed that in Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, a total of 84 cases of Covid-19 had been diagnosed in the last 24 hours.

Over 400,000 total coronavirus cases in Greece

Since the beginning of the pandemic, a total of 413,954 cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in the country, including all those who have recovered from the virus.

Of the cases diagnosed in Greece in the past seven days, just 35 are associated with foreign travel and 1,393 have been linked to contact with a known case.

Of the 375 patients intubated currently, 86.9% are over the age of 70 or suffer from preexisting conditions. Their average age is 67.

On Friday alone, 119 people with the coronavirus were admitted to hospitals in Greece.

Additionally, a total of 2,549 patients have been discharged from ICUs around the country since the beginning of the pandemic.

The 11 new deaths recorded on Friday bring the total number of fatalities in the country to 12,381; 95.2% of those who have passed away with the virus were over the age of 70 or suffered from underlying health issues.