New ‘Finnish’ Strain of SARS-CoV-2 'Difficult to Detect' in So | COVID-19 Up
New ‘Finnish’ Strain of SARS-CoV-2 "Difficult to Detect" in Some WHO-Recommended PCR Tests
@COVID19Up: Scientists fear a new ‘Finnish’ mutation of the coronavirus is going undetected.
The discovery was made by Helsinki-based Vita Laboratories who say it’s unlikely the variant emerged in Finland, given the country’s low rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Dubbed “Fin-796H” the mutation is different from the strains in South Africa and the United Kingdom, the lab said in a statement.
"Vita Laboratoriot Oy and the Institute of Biotechnology at the University of Helsinki have detected a previously unknown variant of the coronavirus in a sample from southern Finland."
“Mutations in this variant make it difficult to detect in at least one of the WHO-recommended PCR tests. This discovery could have a significant impact on determining the spread of the disease," the laboratory said. SOURCE | TIP
