LONDON: A new, probably extra infectious variant of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has been present in Britain in cases linked to South Africa, British Health Secretary Matt Hancock mentioned on Wednesday (Dec 23).
South Africa’s health department mentioned last week that a new genetic mutation of the virus had been found and is likely to be responsible for a recent surge in infections there.
“Due to the impressive genomic capability of the South Africans, we have detected two cases of another new variant of coronavirus here within the UK,” Hancock informed a media briefing.
“Both are contacts of cases who’ve traveled from South Africa over the past few weeks.”
Britain is already trying to curb the spread of a mutated strain of the virus which is as much as 70 percent more transmissible, and further studies aerie being carried out on the new variant.
“This new variant is very concerning because it’s yet more transmissible, and it seems to have mutated additional than the new variant has been found in the UK,” he mentioned.
Shut contacts of those with the new variant and all those that have been in South Africa in the last fortnight, or were in close contact with somebody who had, should quarantine, he mentioned.
Quick restrictions have been being imposed on travel from South Africa, he added.
International locations around the world have in the latest days closed their borders to both Britain and South Africa following the identification of the new, fast-spreading variants of the coronavirus.
“So the new variant within the UK, which we have recognized, may be very different to the variant in South Africa, it’s got different mutations,” mentioned Susan Hopkins from Public Health England.
“Both of them look like they’re more transmissible. We have now more proof on the transmission for the UK variant because we have been studying that with the nice elements with academic partners. We’re still studying about the South African variant.”
She expressed confidence that the spread of the South Africa-linked variant can be controlled and mentioned vaccines that have already been developed should be effective.
“We have no proof at the moment that the vaccine will not work, so truly what that means actually is that there’s strong proof that it will work, as a result of the vaccine produces a strong immune response and it’s broad and acts against lots of variation within the virus,” she mentioned.
