B117 coronavirus variant might soon become dominant in Germany: RKI head
Lothar Wieler said the B117 variant now made up more than 40% of coronavirus cases in Germany, compared to about 6% of cases four weeks ago
The World Health Organization says pregnant women can be badly affected by some respiratory infections, and that it is not known whether mothers with Covid-19 can pass the virus to their babies during pregnancy or delivery Photo: Reuters
A more contagious variant of the coronavirus first detected in Britain might soon become the predominant strain in Germany, making it hard to stop its spread, the head of the Robert Koch Institute said on Friday.
Lothar Wieler said the B117 variant now made up more than 40% of coronavirus cases in Germany, compared to about 6% of cases four weeks ago.
"It is foreseeable that B117 will soon be the predominant variant in Germany and then it will be even more difficult to keep the virus in check because B117 is more contagious and even more dangerous in all age groups," he said.
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