Belgium reports Europe's first case of new COVID-19 variant

Belgium has detected the first case of the new coronavirus variant which was first found in South Africa, a virologist said on Friday.

Marc Van Ranst, whose laboratory works closely with Belgium's public health body Sciensano, said on Twitter that the variant was found in a traveller returning in Belgium from Egypt on Nov 11. The person developed the first symptoms on Nov. 22, the virologist said.

The new COVID-19 variant identified in southern Africa led to investors dump riskier assets across markets with European stocks falling the most since July while emerging markets slumped.

Earlier today, Israel also identified its first case of the new COVID-19 variant. “The variant discovered in southern African states has been identified in Israel,” the Israeli health ministry said.

The B.1.1.529 variant has been detected in relatively small numbers in Botswana, Hong Kong and South Africa but the authorities are perturbed by its high number of mutations that could evade the body’s immune response and become more transmissible.

World Health Organization’s Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution (TAG-VE) earlier today announced that it will meet to discuss whether this variant should be classified as a variant of interest or a variant of concern.