An urgent search is underway to find someone in England who tested positive for the worrying ‘Brazil’ variant of Covid but did not leave sufficient details to be traced afterwards.

Two other cases, from South Gloucestershire, have been traced; but the whereabouts of a third person to test positive is unknown at present.

This raises the disturbing prospect that more people could unknowingly become infected with the potentially more deadly ‘P.I’ strain from Brazil.

The missing person is not believed to have links to the two Gloucestershire cases. Whoever he or she is, they probably took their test between February 12 and February 14, but did not complete the necessary registration.

The Brazil variant is of particular concern to health experts, because it may spread more quickly that other Covid variants, and be more resistant to current vaccines.

However, NHS England’s Prof Stephen Powis said vaccines could be “rapidly adapted”.

And the UK’s effective response to Covid mutations should not be underestimated. Dr Susan Hopkins, from Public Health England said the UK was “more advanced than many other countries at identifying the variants and mutations, and therefore was able to act quickly”.

Now the nationwide search for the individual gets into full gear, similar scenes to those in Worcester in early February are sure to follow, somewhere.

Last month, mass testing began on people living and working in the WR3 area of Worcester, when it was revealed the South African variant had been discovered.

This is yet another Covid variant, although is it thought that existing Covid vaccines do offer a robust response in the case of the SA variant .

In Worcester, when the search for SA Covid cases took place, the response was so-called ‘surge testing”.

A pop-up testing site opened at Worcester Sixways, and also at The White Hart pub at Fernhill Heath, when the SA variant was identified the the North Claines area.

Mobile Testing Units (MTUs) were deployed offering PCR testing while the authorities encouraged people to get tested in the area. In a robust and thorough response, home test kits were also provided.

There is, at present, not indication that the Brazilian variant of Covid is present in either Worcestershire or Herefordshire.