A man who arrived in Japan from the Philippines in February was infected with a new variant of the new coronavirus, the health ministry said on Friday, in the first confirmation of such a case.
The variant is distinct from those first discovered in the UK, South Africa and Brazil and is believed to pose a similar threat. The Philippine variant may be more resistant to neutralizing antibodies, including those gained by vaccination, as appear to be the South African and Brazilian variants.
According to the health ministry, the 60-year-old man arrived at Narita airport near Tokyo on February 25 and was asymptomatic.
He gave positive results after being quarantined at the airport and receiving treatment at a designated unit.
The National Institute of Infectious Diseases is calling for stronger border control measures as part of efforts to limit the spread of the virus and to see if the Philippine version is spreading to Japan.
According to the ministry and the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, infections with this variant have been found in the central part of the Philippines since the end of January. To date, a total of 34 cases have been confirmed in the country.
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