Japanese Device "Detects" Mutated Coronavirus Strains

A unit of Japan's Fujifilm Holdings announced that it is able to create devices capable of detecting mutated strains of the coronavirus, stating that this will be available in about a month in response to concerns about the spread of more contagious strains of the virus. Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Corporation has developed a device that can detect the "L452R" strain of the virus, which was first identified in India and California, and has recently appeared in Tokyo. The company has also created devices that can detect two strains of the virus, which public health authorities have used as early warning systems for infection trends. The general manager of life sciences operations, Kuniaki Okamoto, stated, "It is extremely important to control mutated strains in the early stages of their spread," as reported by Reuters. He added that the company "is focusing on the Japanese market but is looking to export its devices depending on demand and regulatory conditions in other countries." Most parts of Japan are under a state of emergency in the face of a fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, just about two months before the anticipated opening of the Tokyo Olympic Games.