Eight to nine people who tested positive for covid-19 in Uppsala County are infected with a new delta variant with an additional mutation.

So far, researchers do not know how contagious it is or whether it is more easily infected than vaccinated than other variants, but among those who are infected there are fully vaccinated.

- Of course, we take all variants seriously which means that the vaccine may not have the same protection, says Mats Martinell, responsible for sampling in the Uppsala Region.

The new delta variant is worrying and studies in a laboratory environment show that the variant would escape the vaccine more easily than other delta variants.

From southern Spain and Portugal

Mats Martinell has not heard of having seen this variant in other parts of Sweden, but it could be because the infection tracking unit in the Uppsala Region has a close collaboration with the University Hospital where an extensive mapping of the samples is underway to quickly detect new variants .

The people infected by the new delta variant have all been to southern Spain and Portugal.

- We believe that this delta variant is there and therefore it is important to test yourself when you get home, says Mats Martinell.

Overall, he is worried about the coming weeks.

- Now we are in a stage where there can be large outbreaks and super-spreading events with parties and the like, so you have to be careful.