ANGKOK, April 7 — Thailand has detected 24 cases of the coronavirus variant B.1.1.7 first detected in Britain, a virologist said today, its first reported domestic transmission of the highly contagious variant.

"This variant is very viral and can spread 1.7 times faster than the usual strain," Yong Poovorawan, a senior virologist from Chulalongkorn University told a health ministry briefing. — Reuters