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UK scientists have found a new strain of coronavirus that is up to 70% more transmissible than the original virus.
Boris Johnson says he was behind a spike in Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations, and why strict Level 4 rules were being enforced in the southeast and east of England, as well as London.
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Where did the new strain of Covid come from?
The scientific name of the new strain is VUI 202012/01, and VUI stands for Variant Under Investigation.
Essentially, Public Health England laboratories in Porton Down, Wiltshire, are still investigating the origins of the mutant strain.
With no concrete evidence thus far explaining how and where it came from, it can only be assumed that it arose in England, because that is where most of the known cases were originally reported.
Scientists believe it mutated within the body of a Covid patient.
The new variant appears to be prominent in and around southern England.
As of December 9, the mutated virus accounted for 43% of cases and 28% of hospitalizations in the Southeast, 59% of cases and 38% of hospitalizations in the East, and 62% of cases. and 34% of hospitalizations in London.
By contrast, the new strain is linked to only five percent of recent cases in Yorkshire.
Case rates in the UK increased by more than 50 percent between November 29 and December 13.
The new strain is believed to be able to increase the country’s R rate, currently estimated at between 1.1 and 1.2, by 0.4 percent.
Why is the new strain of Covid more contagious?
The new Covid strain is said to be around 70 percent more infectious than its original form and has caused a skyrocketing increase in cases in London and the South East.
The number of new infections in the UK on Sunday 20 December, the date the Level 4 lockdown went into effect, reached an all-time high for recorded cases and was almost double the 18,447 cases reported the previous week.
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Why is the new strain spreading faster?
The Porton Down scientists said the new strain includes a mutation in the spike protein that can make the virus more infectious.
In announcing the new Tier 4 measures, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Without action, the evidence suggests that infections would increase, hospitals would be overwhelmed and many thousands more would lose their lives.”
“Yes, Christmas this year will be different, very different.
“We are sacrificing the opportunity to see our loved ones this Christmas for a better chance to protect their lives, so we can see them next Christmas.
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