French experts spot 'Breton' Covid variant which 'may fully evade tests' - but say mutant strain is no deadlier or more transmissible than original virus

• Eight cases of the 'Breton' strain were detected in a hospital in region of Brittany
• Despite being infected with virus, the patients' PCR test results were negative
• Thought to be the first time any variant has slipped past the gold-standard PCRA Covid variant which may be able to fully evade current tests has been spotted in France, it emerged last night.

  Eight cases of the 'Breton variant' were detected in a hospital in Lannion, a town in the northwest region of Brittany. 

  The French health ministry revealed that despite being infected with the virus, the patients' polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results were negative. They were only spotted through genomic sequencing of the samples.

  It's thought to be the first time any variant has slipped past the gold-standard PCR tests, which are critical for keeping track of the pandemic. 

  While PCR cannot diagnose other variants, including the Brazil and South African versions, it still gives a Covid positive result. 

  Scientists at the Institut Pasteur who discovered the Breton variant said it does not appear to be more transmissible or deadly than the original virus.

  

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  Eight cases of the 'Breton variant' were detected in a hospital in Lannion, a town in the northwest region of Brittany.  Scientists revealed the new strain carries nine mutations on its spike protein

  They revealed the new strain carries nine mutations on its spike protein, but also in 'other viral regions'. They did not provide any further details.The experts will carry out further research to work out what effect the variant will have on vaccines.  

  The emergence of the new strain comes as France suffers rising infection rates and faces calls for another lockdown. The country is recording 20,000 new cases every day.Neighbouring Italy — which is recording around 15,000 cases a day — went into a lockdown on Monday that will last until April 6.

  For comparison, there are just 5,000 infections in Britain, where the rate of infection is 85 per million people, according to statistics by Our World In Data. For comparison, the rate is 355 in France and 370 in Italy.  

  Despite new variants cropping up around the world more often, top scientists have warned against becoming 'obsessed' with mutant viruses.

  All the of the big vaccine-makers are confident their jabs will still be highly effective against all emerging strains.

  Oxford University researchers have claimed it is unlikely a single strain will make the vaccines significantly weaker in the next year.

  Instead, they believe there is more chance that a series of evolution over many years could eventually make the current crop of jabs less potent.

  But vaccines can be modified in a matter of weeks and regulators in the UK, US and EU have passed laws which means new booster vaccines can be fast-tracked to approval.

  WHICH COVID VARIANTS ARE CIRCULATING IN THE UK?

  Public Health England says there are currently nine Covid variants circulating in Britain.

  The agency has five variants 'under investigation', which it is monitoring but does not believe they pose a threat to the UK's Covid fight.

  It has four more which it describes as 'variants of concern'. 

  They are: the current dominant Kent strain (B.1.1.7); one imported from Brazil (P.1), the South African variant (B.1.351), and one version of the Kent strain that has evolved further that cropped up in Bristol.

  These four strains are either more transmissible or deadly than the original virus that came out of China or have mutations which make them slightly more resistant to antibodies.

  But antibodies are just one part of what gives Covid survivors and vaccinated patients protection against reinfection.

  White blood cells play a crucial role in fighting off the virus and scientists say they are 'not substantially affected' by current mutated variants.

  It means the current crop of vaccines should still be highly effective against strains with such changes.