China's Guangdong reports two imported coronavirus variant cases

GUANGZHOU, May 10 (Xinhua) -- South China's Guangdong Province has detected two imported coronavirus variant cases, the China CDC Weekly said.

It was the fourth detection of a major international variant following the detection of the United Kingdom 501Y.V1 variant, the South African 501Y.V2 variant, and the Nigerian B.1.525 variant in the province.

The two cases are a couple who arrived in the provincial capital Guangzhou from Canada on April 15. The 62-year-old male and 58-year-old female tested positive for the novel coronavirus and were sent to a designated hospital for treatment.

On April 30, the gene sequencing analysis conducted by the provincial center for disease control and prevention concluded that the two virus genomes belonged to lineage P.1, 20J/501Y.V3, which was first found in four Brazilians who arrived in Japan in late December 2020.

The transmissibility and pathogenicity of these mutant variants urgently need further study, the weekly said.