Coronavirus variants, first found in UK and South Africa, spread worldwide

LONDON: Pfizer Inc and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine appeared to work against a key mutation in the highly transmissible new variants of the coronavirus discovered in the UK and South Africa, according to a laboratory study conducted by the US drugmaker.

The following countries are among those that have reported variants among their populations.

AUSTRALIA has found several cases of the variant first identified in Britain and has also found at least one case of the variant found in South Africa.

AUSTRIA has found four cases of the coronavirus mutation first detected in Britain and one case of the South African mutation.

BRAZIL confirmed its first two cases of British variant, Sao Paulo state's health secretariat said.

CANADA has detected nine cases of the variant first found in Britain.

CHILE said it had recorded its first case of the British variant.

CHINA reported a patient infected with the variant discovered in South Africa in southern Guangdong province.

CYPRUS has discovered 12 cases of the variant in people who recently travelled from Britain.

DENMARK estimates around 800 people have been infected with the variant spreading in Britain.

Health officials in FINLAND said the variant circulating in Britain had been detected in two people, while the variant spreading in South Africa has been detected in one.

FRANCE said there were 19 cases of the UK variant and three cases of the South African variant in the country, including two clusters in the greater Paris region and Brittany.

GERMANY said the variant from Britain had been found in a passenger flying to Frankfurt from London on Dec. 20. It seems to have been present in Germany since November, the Die Welt daily reported.

GREECE has detected four cases of the variant in people who recently travelled from Britain, a Health Ministry official said.

The British variant appears to have infected two students who returned to HONG KONG from the UK, the Department of Health said.

INDIA has found 38 cases of the variant found in Britain.

IRAN on Tuesday registered its first case of a coronavirus variant in a traveller arriving from the United Kingdom.

Health officials in IRELAND said increased socialising around Christmas - and not a new variant - had driven a surge in infections.

ISRAEL detected four cases of the coronavirus emerging in Britain.

ITALY detected a patient infected with the variant found in Britain.

JAPAN detected the variant found in South Africa, the first such discovery in a nation that has already identified more than a dozen cases of the variant spreading in Britain.

JORDAN has detected its first two cases of the variant spreading in Britain.

LEBANON detected its first case of a variant of the coronavirus on a flight arriving from London.

NORWAY said the variant circulating in Britain had been detected in 23 people, while the variant circulating in South Africa had been detected in one person.

OMAN registered its first case of the variant that emerged in Britain.

PAKISTAN health officials said the variant found in Britain had been detected in the southern province of Sindh.

The variant linked to Britain has been detected on the island of Madeira in PORTUGAL, the regional civil protection authority said.

SINGAPORE confirmed its first case of the variant found in Britain.

SOUTH KOREA said the variant found in Britain was found in three people.

SPAIN has confirmed around 60 cases of the variant found in Britain.

SWEDEN said the variant circulating in Britain had been detected after a traveller from Britain fell ill on arrival and tested positive.

SWITZERLAND has recorded 28 cases of the variant circulating in Britain. It has also recorded two cases of the South African mutation.

Self-ruled TAIWAN, claimed by neighbouring China, confirmed its first case of the variant discovered in Britain.

TURKEY detected 15 cases of the new variant in travellers from Britain.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES discovered a "limited number" of cases of people infected with a new variant, a government official said. Those affected had travelled from abroad, without specifying from where or the number of cases.

The UNITED STATES said the British variant had been found in at least eight states, including California, Colorado, Florida and New York.

VIETNAM has detected its first case of the variant that is spreading around Britain.