The new COVID-19 strain is spreading faster, says the British medical chief

FILE PHOTO: This scanning electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 (blue round objects), also known as the new coronavirus, the virus that causes COVID-19, which emerges from the surface of cells grown in the laboratory, which was isolated by a patient in the US NIAID-RML / Handout via REUTERS. THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT

LONDON (Reuters) – A new strain of COVID-19 identified in the UK could spread faster and urgent work is underway to confirm it does not cause a higher mortality rate, England Medical Director Chris Whitty said on Saturday.

“As announced on Monday, the United Kingdom has identified a new variant of Covid-19 by genomic surveillance of public health in England,” Whitty said in a statement.

“Following the rapid spread of the new variant, preliminary modeling data and the rapidly increasing incidence rate in the south-east, the Advisory Group on New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats (NERVTAG) now considers that the new strain may spread more rapidly. quick.”

Reported by Michael Holden, edited by William Maclean

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