20 December 2020, 8:33 pm EST By
On December 19, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced changes on COVID-19 restrictions because of the new strain found in the U.K., which is said to be more 70% more contagious. This prompted some European Union countries to either limit or ban flights from the U.K.
While viruses evolve naturally as, some more than others, new strains of the coronavirus have been found since it was first detected in China in December 2019. These new strains often acquire minimal changes in their genetic alphabet, but a bigger worry is when the virus mutates including surface protein, which could help it escape the immune system or drugs. Here s what is known about the UK New Strain of COVID-19.
Should you be worried about new COVID-19 strain? Here s what to know
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EXPLAINER: Are new coronavirus strains cause for concern? :: WRAL com
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Updated Dec. 21, 2020
Reports from Britain and South Africa of new coronavirus strains that seem to spread more easily are causing alarm, but virus experts say itâs unclear if thatâs the case or whether they pose any concern for vaccines or cause more severe disease.
Viruses naturally evolve as they move through the population, some more than others. Itâs one reason we need a fresh flu shot each year.
New variants, or strains, of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been seen almost since it was first detected in China nearly a year ago.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced new restrictions because of the new strain. Several European Union countries and Canada were banning or limiting some flights from the U.K. to try to limit any spread.
Covid 19 coronavirus: The virus is mutating. What does that mean for us?
21 Dec, 2020 04:00 AM
8 minutes to read
A woman walks on a rain-soaked Oxford Street on the first day of Tier 3 restrictions in London. The city has been moved to even tighter restrictions. Photo / Andrew Testa, The New York Times
New York Times
By: Apoorva Mandavilli
Officials in Britain and South Africa claim new variants are more easily transmitted. There s a lot more to the story, scientists say. Just as vaccines begin to offer hope for a path out of the pandemic, officials in Britain on Saturday sounded an urgent alarm about what they called a highly contagious new variant of the coronavirus circulating in England.