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A “very worrying” new variant of the coronavirus has been detected in the UK and is suspected of causing an increase in cases in South Africa, said Matt Hancock.
Public Health England surveillance on Tuesday identified two people who contracted the virus after being in contact with different travelers from South Africa. One case is in London, the other in the North West.
The health secretary told the Downing Street press conference on Wednesday that the arrival of the new variant would lead to new quarantine rules for recent visitors from South Africa.
“This new variant is very concerning because it is even more transmissible and appears to have mutated more than the new variant discovered in the UK,” Hancock said.
Pressure is mounting on ministers who are already struggling to contain another highly communicable form of the virus, which was first detected in Kent in late September. Coronavirus cases have skyrocketed in London, the South East and the East, where the variant now makes up the majority of infections.
uk crown cases
Ravi Gupta, a professor of clinical microbiology at Cambridge University, who called for the vaccine program to accelerate and target hotspots to contain the most transmissible variant, said the discovery of the South African variant added new urgency to the situation.
“This is really shocking news,” he said. “We need to increase vaccines and think about where we should aim.”
While the UK and South African variants are different, they share at least one mutation called N501Y that can make the virus more transmissible.
Hancock said the two people who tested positive for the South African variant were now in quarantine, adding that other travelers from the country and their contacts should take similar precautions.
“Anyone in the UK who has been to South Africa in the last fortnight and anyone who is a close contact of someone who has been to South Africa in the last fortnight should be quarantined immediately,” he said. “They must restrict all contact with any other person.”
The measurements will be temporary while the new variant is investigated at PHE’s Porton Down lab. Work is already underway in the lab to investigate the UK variant, called B117.
Late on Wednesday, the government announced that visitors to South Africa, or those who have transited the country in the last 10 days, will be banned from entering England after 9 a.m. on Christmas Eve and direct flights will be banned. .
The ban excludes cargo and freight without passengers, and also does not include British and Irish citizens, visa holders and permanent residents, who can still enter but must isolate themselves together with their home for 10 days.
The UK variant came to light when PHE analysis revealed that a new multi-mutant form of the virus was spreading rapidly in Kent and other regions during the November lockdown, while older variants of the coronavirus were in decline.
The South African variant emerged after the first wave of infections in Nelson Mandela Bay, off the coast of the Eastern Cape province. Within weeks, it became the dominant coronavirus in both the Eastern and Western Cape.
Dr Richard Lessells, an infectious disease specialist who has studied the South African variant at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, said there is very little evidence so far to know whether it is more transmissible than the UK one. “We have good evidence that it is more transmissible than previously circulating variants, but it is difficult for us to quantify it accurately,” he said.
Stuart Neil, a professor of virology at King’s College London, said that while little was known about the new variants, it was important to take precautions.
“We are still waiting for definitive proof that there is something about the mutations that have arisen in these variants that is actually giving them an intrinsic transmission advantage,” he said. “But I think we should err on the side of caution and act as if these new variants have improved transmission characteristics.
“Ultimately, we are a small country. Everyone who enters level 4 will become inevitable. The new UK variant is across the country … and if it’s more transferable, of course it will take over. “
Dr Stephen Griffin, Associate Professor at the University of Leeds School of Medicine, said: “Clearly, the variants with the highest potential for transmission are of great concern now and in the future. However, the crisis in the UK has been escalating since the summer and we are now in this dire situation due to delays and inaction since cases started to rise.
“It is good that steps are being taken now to reduce the spread of the new variant, but this should not be used as a distraction from the mismanagement of the epidemic since the first shutdown ended. The cost of not suppressing infections and establishing effective testing and tracing during the summer is now counted in both human lives and the economy. “
Dr Susan Hopkins, Covid-19 Chief Medical Advisor for PHE and NHS Testing and Tracing, said: “We are investigating this new variant of SARS-CoV-2 that originated in South Africa. Viruses often evolve and this is not unusual. We are doing priority work to understand the potential risk that this variant can cause. It is important to say that there is currently no evidence that this variant causes more serious disease or that the regulated vaccine does not protect against it.
“The best way to stop the infection is to follow the rules: reduce your contacts, wash your hands, cover your face, keep your distance from others, and ventilate indoor spaces.”
