Boris Johnson fears that the new variant of Covid-19 is “70% more contagious” – Jornal Económico



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The new variant of Covid-19 detected in the United Kingdom “may be 70% more contagious”, fears the first Briton, Boris Johnson, although during a press conference he admitted that “there is still much that is not known”, because “no there is evidence to suggest that it is more lethal ”,“ even if the vaccine is less effective against this variant. ”The“ New York Times ”in a breaking news published this Saturday, at 5:16 p.m. in Lisbon, reported that the United Kingdom will impose a emergency shutdown rigorous in London and the surrounding region, alarmed by what “laboratory researchers explain is a rapidly spreading variant of the Covid-19 virus.”

“There is no evidence that the new variant causes more severe disease or has higher mortality, but it appears to spread between people much faster,” says Boris Johnson, admitting that it may be “70% more contagious.” “We already know enough to know that we have to act,” he says, reporting that new restrictions will be adopted in the London region, as well as in south-east England. This new variant of the virus, which was detected mainly in the London and south-east England region, may already be circulating in a significant part of the British territory.

Without very precise scientific indications, there are references that this variant of Covid-19 can be differentiated by 23 points, which includes its structure at the level of the protein that creates the virus and the way it adheres to cells, according to experts. British people.

The new variant was initially identified in mid-September and confirmed again in mid-November in Kent, having spread to 28% of confirmed cases in London and south-east England. By the week of December 9, there were already more than 60% of Covid-19 cases with this new variant, which quickly appears to be taking control of the dominant variant in confirmed infections in England, said Patrick Vallance, the principal. British government advisor for COVID-19.

For this reason, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced new restrictions for London and other areas of the United Kingdom, which will come into effect from Sunday December 20 and must remain at least until December 30 and eventually also throughout the year . Londoners will have to be confined to their homes and non-essential commercial establishments will have to close.



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