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London, December 15
A new variant of the coronavirus has been found that is growing faster in parts of England, British MPs were told.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said at least 60 different local authorities had recorded Covid infections caused by the new variant, the BBC reported Monday.
He said the World Health Organization had been notified and UK scientists were conducting detailed studies.
He said “there was nothing to suggest” that the disease worsened or that the vaccines would no longer work.
He told MPs in the House of Commons that over the past week, there have been drastic and exponential increases in coronavirus infections in London, Kent, parts of Essex and Hertfordshire.
“We have currently identified more than 1,000 cases with this variant predominantly in the south of England, although cases have been identified in almost 60 different local authority areas.
“We do not know to what extent this is due to the new variant, but regardless of its cause, we have to take swift and decisive action which, unfortunately, are absolutely essential to control this deadly disease while the vaccine is launched.” England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said current coronavirus swab tests would detect the new variant that has been found predominantly in Kent and neighboring areas in recent weeks.
The changes or mutations involve the spike protein of the virus, the part that helps it infect cells, and targeted Covid vaccines are designed around it.
It is too early to know exactly what this will affect the behavior of the virus.
Professor Alan McNally, an expert from the University of Birmingham, told the BBC: “Let’s not be hysterical. It does not mean that it is more transmissible, more infectious or dangerous.”
“It’s something to watch out for.
“Huge efforts are being made to characterize the variant and understand its emergence. It is important to keep a calm and rational perspective of the strain, as this is normal virus evolution and we expect new variants to come and go and emerge over time. “. Wellcome director Dr. Jeremy Farrar said it was potentially serious. “Surveillance and investigation must continue and we must take the necessary steps to get ahead of the virus.” There is a simple rule of thumb for understanding all “new strains” or “new variants”: Ask if the behavior of the virus has changed.
This is crucial as viruses mutate all the time, it is just what they do. And so far they have given us the “scare” but not the “answer.”
Matt Hancock said the new variant of the coronavirus “may be associated” with the more rapid spread in south-east England.
This is not the same as saying that it is “causing” the increase and Hancock did not say that this virus has evolved to spread from person to person more easily.
The new strains may become more common for reasons that have nothing to do with the virus.
One explanation for the appearance of the “Spanish strain” during the summer was tourism.
So for the moment, there are scary headlines everywhere, but there are no scientific details yet to know how significant this is.
–IANS
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