and now the Brazilian Covid Variant....

[r2d2]

A Brazilian nurse who fought off coronavirus and got reinfected with the country's new variant has sparked fears the mutation could hamper immunity.

The variant, which today spooked ministers into banning all flights to the UK from South America, carries a mutation that may make the virus able to get past immunity developed from older versions of the virus.

The unnamed 45-year-old fell ill with the new variant in October — five months after she recovered from Covid caused by an older strain, and her symptoms were worse the second time.

Researchers from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, a science institute in Rio de Janeiro, warned that mutations on the new variant could increase the risk of reinfection.

They wrote that 'viral evolutions may favour reinfections', claiming recently spotted variants 'have raised concern on their potential impact in infectivity and immune escape'.

Amid growing fears about the Brazilian variant, the UK Government today banned all travellers from Portugal, South America, Panama and Cape Verde in a bid to stop it from wreaking havoc in Britain.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he had broadened the ban from just Brazil in order to 'reduce the risk of importing infections'.

A virus researcher today told MailOnline it was 'entirely possible' there are already cases here but Public Health England said it had not yet detected any cases. 

And the UK's chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, admitted last night that 'we don't know for sure' how the new variant will affect vaccines and immunity.