The new variant is called VUI-202012/01 – the first “Variant under investigation” in the UK in December 2020. While scientists are looking for more information about the variant, its impact is already being felt.
Several countries have now imposed restrictions on travel in the UK. British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Sunday that the option was “out of control” and that Prime Minister Boris Johnson was to chair an emergency meeting on Monday while his government tried to deal with the consequences.
Here’s what you need to know.
A variant occurs when the genetic structure of a virus changes, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All viruses move over time and new variants are common, including for the new coronavirus.
Chris Whitty, the medical director of England, said that this special variant “contains 23 different changes”, about which he described an unusually large number. Whitty said the variant is responsible for 60% of new infections in London, which have almost doubled in the last week alone.
This finding has immediate implications for virus control. More cases could put even more pressure on hospitals and medical staff, as it enters an already particularly difficult winter period and will eventually lead to more deaths.
Where did the variant come from and how did it take it?
The new version of Covid-19 has its origins in the south-east of England, according to the World Health Organization.
PHE said the follow-up, using genetic evidence, suggests the variant first appeared in England in September. It then circulated at very low levels until mid-November.
“The increase in cases related to the new variant first appeared at the end of November, when PHE investigated why infection rates in Kent [in southeast England] they did not fall despite national restrictions. We then discovered a cluster related to this variant spreading rapidly in London and Essex, “said PHE.
Several experts also suggested that this new variant could have been amplified due to an over-spreading event, which means that the current peak in cases could also have been caused by human behavior.
“A higher genomic growth rate in the sequenced samples may not necessarily mean a higher transmissibility, for example, if there was a rave of several thousand people in which this variant was introduced and infected many people for the most part In that rave, it may seem very large compared to the background of the non-variant virus, “Julian Tang, a clinical virologist at the University of Leicester, told the Science Media Center.
Which countries are affected?
The variant has already spread globally. In addition to the United Kingdom, the variant was also detected in Denmark, the Netherlands and Australia, according to the WHO.
Australia has identified two cases of the variant in a quarantined area of Sydney, and Italy has also identified a patient infected with the variant.
A similar but separate variant has been identified in South Africa, where scientists say it is spreading rapidly along the country’s coastal areas.
Is the new variant more deadly?
There is no evidence to suggest that the new variant is more deadly today, according to Whitty, who said “urgent work” is underway on Saturday, examining the implications for mortality.
“We do not see any increased virulence (clinical severity) or any serious change in [spike protein] which will reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine – so far, “Tang told the Science Media Center (SMC.)
Several experts pointed out that for some viruses, increased transmissibility may be accompanied by lower rates of virulence and mortality. This may mean that the variant is less lethal, although at present it is too early to tell.
“The new viruses will adapt to a new host over time – with decreasing mortality and possibly increasing transmissibility,” Tang said.
“As viruses are transmitted, those that allow increased virological ‘success’ can be selected, which changes the properties of the virus over time. This usually leads to greater transmission and lower virulence,” Martin Hibberd, Professor of Emerging Infectious Diseases at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said SMC.
Will the developed vaccines work against this variant?
Whitty said Saturday that current vaccines should continue to work against the new variant.
His remarks were repeated in the US by the head of Operation Warp Speed. “So far, I don’t think there has been a single vaccine-resistant variant,” Moncef Slaoui told CNN on Sunday. “We can’t rule it out, but it’s not there now.”
The UK, the US and the EU have authorized the Pfizer / BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, and a few more are under development.
What measures are being taken to contain the variant?
The medical director of England asked the people of Great Britain to take measures to reduce the spread of the virus.
“Given this latest development, it is now more vital than ever for the public to continue to act in their area to reduce transmission,” Whitty said on Saturday.
Large areas of England, including London and the South East, are now under strict Covid-19 level 4 restrictions, which is just the latest break in a pandemic-shaded Christmas holiday.
Dozens of countries in Europe, the Middle East and America have also announced travel bans for the UK.
Others, such as Greece and Spain, have imposed restrictions on travelers arriving from the UK to undergo coronavirus or quarantine testing.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, America’s leading infectious disease expert, told CNN on Monday that he would advise additional restrictions on travel to the UK. The United States must “no doubt keep an eye on it,” Fauci said, but “we don’t want to overreact.”