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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson issued the strictest lockdown order since March due to the rapid spread of the virus in and around the London capital.
Patrick Vallance, the UK government’s chief scientific adviser, said this new variant is spreading rapidly and caused more than 60% of infections in London in December.
A similar variant was found in South Africa, appearing in 90% of virus samples genetically tested since mid-November.
Scientists are concerned about these variations, although it is not surprising. Previously, they recorded thousands of small changes in the genetic material of the SARS-CoV-2 virus as it spread around the world.
People in London – England on December 20 Photo: Reuters
Jesse Bloom, an expert at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (USA), told The New York Times that the appearance of these variants needs more attention because they will surely spread. .
Muge Cevik, an infectious disease expert and scientific adviser to the Ahn government, said the variant is believed to be able to infect 70% faster than the original virus, but this figure has yet to be reached. confirmed in a laboratory. Furthermore, according to Ms Cevik, she does not rule out the possibility that this higher rate of infection is related to human behavior.
Experts in the UK and US also point out that even if the newer variants infect more easily, there is currently no evidence that they are “deadly.”
Another issue of concern is whether the SARS-CoV-2 virus can change to become resistant to circulating or prepared vaccines. Some experts have assured that it will take years for the virus to evolve enough that current vaccines are ineffective.
Many countries restrict travel to England
An increasing number of countries in Europe, including France, Germany and Ireland, have announced travel restrictions with the United Kingdom (UK) due to concerns about a faster variant of the Covid-19 virus.
On December 21, Danish authorities suspended flights from the UK for 48 hours, according to Sky News, while Dutch authorities confirmed that one of the Covid-19 cases was caused by the new variant. appeared in this country. Therefore, all passenger flights from the UK will be banned until January 1, 2021.
On December 20, the Italian government also announced a ban on all flights from the UK to the country.
The list of European countries that say temporarily no or restrict flights from the UK also includes Austria, Bulgaria … Even Israel and Canada have similar movements.
The last Eurostar train from London to Paris will depart on December 20 before a restriction on travel from France to the UK goes into effect. Photo: Reuters
Phuong Vo
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