EDITOR’S NOTE: In February, #HealthCaribbean examined COVID-19 Variants in the Caribbean. Jamaica was first to ban flights from the U.K., although one was mid-flight at the time and had to be allowed to land. Despite this effort, the Government has announced that the U.K. variant is spreading in Jamaica. This newsletter therefore re-visits the topic of variants in the Caribbean.

Ironically, our headline taken from Stabroek News reads: “England Investigating New Coronavirus Variant Linked To Antigua Travel”. Public Health England (PHE) has identified a new COVID-19 variant, it called VUI-202103/01, which had been found in two persons in the UK who had recently travelled to Antigua.

The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has recently issued a statement informing that: “Variants are a natural part of viral infection and replication. In this regard, the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants that cause COVID-19, such as Brazil, UK and South African variants, is normal and expected.”

Dr. Christine Carrington — Professor of molecular genetics and virology at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine campus — has also advised that no variant is of concern to Trinidad and Tobago at this time. But, the Ministry of Public Health in the Dominican Republic has confirmed that there are five variants in circulation there.

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