There is a new variant of Covid-19, here are 5 things you need to know.

KOMPAS.com – The United Kingdom recognizes that there is a new variant of the corona virus mutation on its territory.

The new variant of the virus is said to be spreading at a faster rate, prompting the British government to implement strict Christmas closures in London and south-east England.

Here are some things to know about the appearance of the new Covid-19 variant:

1. It is more contagious
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the new variant is 70 per cent more infectious than existing strains and appears to have led to an increase in cases in London and southern England.

However, there is no evidence that this variant of the virus is more lethal or causes more serious illness.

In response to the rebound, the British government announced stay-at-home orders for residents of the capital and south-east England to curb the spread of the virus, at least until December 30.

“Given how quickly this new variant is spreading, it will be very difficult to control it until we launch a vaccine,” Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Sky News.

Meanwhile, University of Reading cell microbiologist Simon Clarke told NBC News that viral mutations are very common.

When viruses cause an infection and enter the human body, they take over the body’s cells to multiply and reproduce.

Every time the virus does that, a new set of genetic material is created for each new virus.

“The new virus is definitely more ‘fit’ than its predecessor,” Clarke said.

Also read: Know the mutation and transmission of the new variant of the Corona Virus, what is the difference?

2. How far has this variant spread?
According to the BBC, the variant is believed to have appeared in patients from the UK or was imported from countries where the ability to monitor the virus mutation is lower.

This variant can be found throughout England except Northern Ireland, but it is highly concentrated in London, south-east England, and eastern England.

Data from Nextstrain, which monitors the genetic code of virus samples around the world, shows that cases in Denmark and Australia come from the UK, while the Netherlands have also reported cases.

A similar variant appeared in South Africa and shares some of the mutations, but they seem to have nothing to do with it.

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3. Some countries prohibit flights from the UK.
In response to the rapid spread of the virus in Britain, the Netherlands banned all passenger flights from the UK until at least January 1, 2021.

The ban, which took effect at 6:00 am local time, was imposed just hours after Britain announced a stay-at-home order.

“Over the next few days, together with other EU member states, (the government) will explore the scope to further limit the risk of new strains of the virus brought in from the UK,” the Dutch public health agency RIVM said in a statement. .

Other countries that have also imposed restrictions include Germany, Belgium, France, Italy and Ireland.

Also read: Be careful with the transmission of Covid-19 in family groups

4. Vaccines

Will the vaccine against the new variant of the virus work?

According to the UK government’s chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, the working assumption of all scientists is that a response to the vaccine must be adequate to address this new variant of the virus.

However, Ravindra Gupta, a professor of clinical microbiology at the University of Cambridge, said he was concerned that the virus would become resistant to vaccines.

“While it may not be really resistant, it probably doesn’t take much for this virus to get there,” he told NBC News.

Still, Clarke said that a different version of the flu vaccine was needed each year and did not understand that something similar could not happen with coronavirus cases.

Also read: The Covid-19 vaccine is not a sign of the end of the pandemic

5. Prevention
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Covid-19 technical head Maria Van Kerkhove told the BBC, so far new variants of the virus have been identified in Denmark, the Netherlands and Australia.

The more the virus spreads, the more likely it is to change. Therefore, it is important to prevent its spread as soon as possible.

“Minimizing the spread will reduce your probability of change,” he said.

Meanwhile, Gupta cautioned that this new strain should be a cause for concern in other countries around the world. This includes, if necessary, new and stricter supervisory rules.

According to a clinical virologist at the University of Leicester, Dr. Julian Tang in a statement, the new stricter lockdown rules are part of the necessary measures in Britain.

However, he cautioned that even a few hours on Christmas Day could still lead to an infection.

Therefore, officials are urging people across the UK to maintain as much social distance as possible.

For people in other countries around the world, there is nothing wrong with implementing strict distancing protocols to suppress the spread of the virus during the Christmas and New Year holidays.

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