New strain of coronavirus in Scotland: everything you need to know

A new strain of coronavirus has spread to Scotland, according to the latest Scottish government data.

Nicola Sturgeon confirmed that nine cases of the new Covid variant have been identified in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board region.

It comes after experts south of the border discovered the new strain of the virus.

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it had been associated with a recent spike in cases in the south of England.

Should we be concerned about this development? And will it have an impact on the progress of the vaccine?

Here’s what we know about this new strain identified by health experts.

What is this new strain of coronavirus?

The new virus strain has been named VUI – 202012/01 – thus it has been named since it is the first variant investigated by experts in December.

The Scottish Government confirmed that this Tuesday nine cases of this new variant of Covid-19 had been identified.

Public health officials south of the border discovered 1,108 cases in England with the new strain yesterday, and most often it affects the south-east of the country.

Should the Scots be concerned about this?

Nicola Sturgeon previously said that the new strain of the virus is a “potentially worrisome development.”

But as it was just announced yesterday, very little is known about this new variant and how it will impact the fight against Covid-19.

Early research indicates that it may be a more transmissible strain of the virus.

Health experts say that this variant includes a mutation in the ‘spike’ protein. Changes in this part of the spike protein can make the virus more infectious and spread easily between people.

But there is nothing to suggest that it has an impact on the severity of the disease or the antibody response.

Covid-19 has already mutated several times during the pandemic, which is not uncommon for viruses to do; Variants can be found in seasonal flu, for example.

There are reportedly around 4,000 variants of Covid-19 that scientists are analyzing.

Scotland eliminated Denmark after a mutated form of coronavirus was found in mink farms.

A strain of the virus found in Spain was said to have caused the spread of Covid-19 in Europe during the summer.

What does this mean for the vaccine?

Health experts say there is currently no evidence to suggest that this new strain has any impact on the efficacy of a vaccine.

However, scientists will be conducting studies on the strain for the next two weeks, so we’ll find out more about it then.

Speaking in the House of Commons yesterday, UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “It is highly unlikely that this mutation will not respond to a vaccine, but it shows that we have to be vigilant and follow the rules.”