Taiwan confirms second coronavirus variant case

A woman wears a face mask at a metro station during the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Taipei
A woman wears a face mask at a metro station during the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Taipei, Taiwan, November 18, 2020. REUTERS/Ann Wang - RC2P5K9B2G13

TAIWAN: Taiwan has confirmed the second case infected with a new variant of the coronavirus, according to the island’s epidemic monitoring agency.

The patient, a Taiwan resident in his 20s returning from Britain on December 22, began to have a fever and muscle ache on December 26 and tested positive for Covid-19 on December 28, the agency said at a press conference Thursday.

The first such case, confirmed on Wednesday, had also been to Britain for study and returned to Taiwan on December 27.

They were identified after the epidemic control agency analyzed samples of Covid-19 from 21 patients who travelled from Europe and the United States and had a high level of virus, the agency said.

The agency also announced that two people tested positive for Covid-19 Thursday, one from Britain and the other from India. The total number of Covid-19 cases in Taiwan had risen to 799 as of Thursday. Among them, seven died, 671 had recovered and 121 remained hospitalized, according to the agency. (ANI/Xinhua)