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The Netherlands, Belgium and Italy suspended flights from the United Kingdom this Sunday after the new variant of SARS-Cov-2, first identified in southern England and associated with a more rapid spread of the infection, was detected in the Netherlands.
According to the international press, the decision in the Netherlands is valid until the end of the year and in Belgium for at least the next 24 hours, with rail connections also suspended.
As SOL advanced during the weekend, the new variant of the coronavirus worries European authorities. The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control confirmed this Friday to this newspaper that it was closely following the situation with the United Kingdom and other Member States, without saying if there was any report in other countries, which is now confirmed in the Netherlands. . “We are working on a Rapid Threat Assessment, which will be published early next week,” the European public health authority said. This type of evaluation was carried out at the beginning of the epidemic and when the first cases of reinfection were detected.
During the week, in ai statements, the head of the Ricardo Jorge Institute unit that monitors the genetic diversity of the coronavirus said that they are concluding the analysis of 400 viruses that circulated in this second wave, which will allow us to understand which are the most common variants. common. country and if this variant in English appears in some of the cases in this sample.
João Paulo Gomes conceded that given the current mutations, greater surveillance of those arriving from the UK to detect an early introduction would be warranted. Measures that should only advance if there is a decision at European level.
What is known about the new variant
Since the beginning of the epidemic, thousands of variants of SARS-CoV-2 have been detected. There is no evidence that it is more pathogenic, but it may have higher transmissibility, which is being investigated. One of the concerns is that out of 17 mutations, you have one mutation that affects the spike protein, the part of the virus that enters cells.
After the first warning last week, the British government announced this weekend that Christmas will have stricter rules and will again close non-essential commerce in London and in the southern areas of the country with the highest risk of contagion. Meetings of up to three households have been banned in areas of the country with the highest level of risk and meetings between two people will only be allowed in public spaces. In the rest of the country there may be family reunions, but now only on Christmas Day. So far, there has been a five-day break in restrictions, between December 23 and 27.
News updated at 1:43 p.m.
