New Delta variant also found in Netherlands

A few cases of the new sub-variant of the coronavirus Delta variant have been diagnosed in the Netherlands, according to the public health institute RIVM, NOS reports.

The sub-variant 'A.Y.4.2' now accounts for 0.1 to 0.2 percent of the coronavirus infections in the Netherlands, the RIVM said.

This sub-variant has been making headlines in the United Kingdom for days, with some speculating that it is responsible for a sharp increase in new infections. UK experts think that it may be up to 15 percent more contagious than the Delta variant, which is currently the dominant variant of the coronavirus worldwide.

Dutch virologist Marian Koopmans told NOS it is too soon to speculate on how problematic the advance of this sub-variant will be. "My British colleagues tell me that they are not yet certain how worrying this is, but I think we have to take into account that this will have an impact," she said to the broadcaster.