A man who arrived in Japan from the Philippines in February became infected with a new variant of the new coronavirus, the health ministry said Friday, in the first confirmation of this case.
The variant is different from those first discovered in Britain, South Africa and Brazil, and is thought to pose a similar threat. The Philippine variant may be more resistant to neutralizing antibodies, including those obtained through vaccination, as the South African and Brazilian variants appear.
According to the health ministry, the 60-year-old man arrived at Narita airport near Tokyo on February 25 and was asymptomatic.
He tested positive after being quarantined at the airport and is receiving treatment at a designated facility.
The National Institute of Infectious Diseases is calling for stronger border control measures as part of efforts to curb the spread of the virus and is monitoring whether the Philippine variant is spreading to Japan.
According to the ministry and the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, since the end of January, infections with the variant in question have been found in the central part of the Philippines. So far a total of 34 cases have been confirmed in the country.
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