Coronavirus update: Unknown variant found in Germany’s 35 hospital patients

As the world still fights the new UK covid strain, Germany has reported an unknown variant that has been found among 35 patients at a hospital in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

The district’s Deputy Medical Director Clemens Stockklausner said: “A change in the virus gene was found in 35 tests among the 73 newly infected people on Friday. But it is definitely not the British or South African variant.”

"At the moment we have discovered a small point mutation, which has already been described several times around the world, but also in Germany, and it is absolutely not clear whether it will be of clinical relevance," Stockklausner added.

In the last hour, the RKI reported 15,974 new infections in the country, with 1,148 new deaths. On Tuesday, Chancellor Angel Merkel announced an extension to the lockdown until February 14.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that the UK coronavirus strain detected in at least 60 countries. The Kingdom reported 33,355 new virus cases and 1,610 fatalities on Tuesday.

Market reaction

The risk sentiment remains buoyed on stimulus expectations while the US dollar index drops 0.15% to 90.35 levels, at the press time. The S&P 500 futures gain 0.10% to trade around 3,795.