New COVID-19 Variant Discovered in Israel

20 October, 2021   |   2 years ago

Jerusalem, 20 October, 2021 (TPS) -- The AY4.2 Coronavirus (COVID-19) variant was detected in Israel, the Ministry of Health announced Tuesday.

The person infected with the virus is an 11-year-old returning from abroad, who was identified as infected at Ben Gurion Airport, and was already in quarantine.

Now no further verified contacts or cases were discovered.

The new delta variant AY.4 has a S:Y145H mutation in the spike. It currently accounts for about 80% of sequenced of cases in the United Kingdom.

In the US, the AY variants are listed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as variants of concern.

Israel is currently emerging from its fourth COVID-19 wave, with its eye on a possible fifth wave in the winter.