- Britain on high alert as new strain of the novel coronavirus transmits in UK
- New strain could be causing more transmission.
- Scientists alarmed by the new strain as it is less virulent but more transmittable.
- Travel restrictions likely in south-east England as new strain spreads.
- No clarity on vaccine effectivity on the new strain yet.
According to a Guardian report, the UK has announced that a new strain of the novel coronavirus is inflicting people.
Britain on High Alert
The matter is of urgent concern as the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hosted a press conference on Saturday afternoon to address the issue of the surge in coronavirus cases and the new strain of coronavirus that spreads rapidly in the south-east of England.
The prime minister was joined by the chief medical officer for England, Chris Whitty, and the UK’s chief scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance, after an emergency meeting with cabinet ministers.
Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, also said she also held a cabinet meeting on Saturday afternoon to discuss the new strain, tweeting that preventative action may be needed to stop it taking hold.
The news came as Whitty announced that the UK had alerted the World Health Organization to the new strain of coronavirus, after modelling suggested it could spread more quickly than other forms.
Not Dangerous Than the Previous Strain?
Whitty said, however, that there was no evidence suggesting it was more dangerous. He also said the new strain was not thought to affect vaccines and treatments, but that “urgent work is under way to confirm this”.
Unpredictable Phase Ahead
The virus’s mutation has prompted fears that England could be forced into a third national lockdown in the new year.
Jeremy Farrar, the head of the Wellcome Trust, said news of the new strain was a “very major concern”, and illustrated the importance of reducing community transmission. Farrar said early evidence indicated the strain would lead to a greater number of infections, and that “acting urgently now is critical”.
He warned the mutation meant we “may be entering a less predictable phase”. “There is no part of the UK and globally that should not be concerned. As in many countries, the situation is fragile,” he said. “It may feel harder during times we normally celebrate and enjoy with family and friends, but we must keep doing all we can to stay safe. The impact of increased interactions over the festive period is a huge concern as infections rise and possibility of a new variant.”
Scientists Alarmed By the New Strain
Dr Ewan Birney, the deputy director general of the European Molecular Biological Laboratory, said while viruses mutated regularly, the recent strain was alarming scientists.
“When there’s growth [of a virus], there’s always some strains growing and some shrinking. What’s concerned scientists this time around is that there’s been one quite different strain. It has quite a few more, different mutations, and it’s been growing very strongly in the south-east of England,” he told the BBC’s Today programme on Saturday.
New Strain Causing More Transmission?
While it is difficult to say whether the new strain is responsible for an increase in coronavirus transmission in the region, Birney said “the evidence is pointing in that direction”, adding that “most scientists on the transmissibility of this new strain think it’s going faster”.
However, the virus may become less virulent as it mutates, meaning it can “transmit faster but cause less disease”, he said.
Vaccines Effective Against New Strain?
It is unclear whether the Oxford/AstraZenica vaccine, which is being assessed by regulators, will be effective against the new strain, but Birney said all coronavirus vaccines in development in the UK had been tested against all strains currently in circulation.
It follows an emergency meeting with ministers hosted by Boris Johnson on Friday to tackle concerns around the strain.
Travel Restrictions Due To New Strain?
Reports suggest that the strain could lead to restrictions on travel between the south-east and the rest of the country, particularly as Christmas is expected to lead to an increase in cross-UK travel, but ministers insisted on Friday night that no firm plans had been made.
According to Sky News, the government’s emergency scientific advisory committee (Sage) is to meet on Monday to discuss the strengthening of tier three restrictions.
Former health secretary and chair of the Commons health select committee, Jeremy Hunt, said the situation was “very serious” and could lead the government to change its policy on Christmas gatherings.
“If they don’t want to change the law, they could be much clearer on the advice they give people, and it’s clearly not advisable to mix households indoors unless there’s a very good reason, such as family member worried it might be their last Christmas,” he said.
Hunt said it was “difficult to judge” if a new lockdowns would be needed in England and Scotland in the new year, describing the transmission rates in the north of England as “on a knife edge”.
“In the north-east and north-west, infection levels are going up, but they’re still much lower than they have been,” he said. “The new strain doesn’t seem to have spread as much as it has in the south.”
However, he said the tier system would need to be reviewed if England was set to re-enter it in the new year.
“We do need to rethink what happens in lockdown. Sometime even when we call it a lockdown, it isn’t sufficient to control the virus,” he said.
“The most important thing now is we are very close to the end. The kind of debates we had in the summer on these controls on liberty are really immaterial now; by the end of February and March we are still very much hoping that a majority of people who are vulnerable will have had the vaccine. We really are in the final stage of this battle.”
Wales announced new regulations beginning on Christmas Eve amid surging cases this week, including the closure of non-essential shops, with hospitality venues set to close at 6pm on Christmas Day. On 28 December, tighter restrictions for household mixing, staying at home, holiday accommodation and travel will apply, as part of new “level 4” restrictions.
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Source: Guardian
