Virus variant accounts for 6% of cases in Germany, rising

BERLIN (AP) — A more contagious variant of the coronavirus first detected in Britain now accounts for almost 6% of all cases in Germany, officials said Friday.

The head of Germany's disease control agency said labs examined the genome of the virus in more than 30,000 positive samples last week to assess the spread of the variant, known to scientists as B.1.1.7., and two others that were first found in South Africa and Brazil.

“The three variants, particularly B.1.1.7., have arrived in Germany,” Lothar Wieler, president of the Robert Koch Institute, told reporters in Berlin. “They're not dominant yet, but we have to reckon that their share will continue to rise, just as it has been reported from other European countries in recent weeks.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday that the prevalence of new variants of the virus will play a role in discussions between the federal and state governments next week about whether to extend existing lockdown restrictions beyond mid-February.

Wieler said the variant first observed in Britain and now detected in 13 of Germany's 16 states “is more contagious than the existing one, and there are first indications that it can also lead to more serious illnesses.”

He cautioned that rigorous hygiene measures would need to accompany any moves to reopen schools and kindergartens, as demanded by some senior politicians.

A mass analysis of positive tests registered in France Jan. 27 found 14% are suspected to be the variant identified in Britain, according to data released Thursday by the French public health agency. That was up from 3% in a similar analysis a month ago.

Germany's health minister said that despite concerns about the new variants, there were good signs that lockdown restrictions are slowing the...