Where the UK coronavirus strain B117 has spread to around the world
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Countries worldwide have responded to the new strain by imposing travel bans on the UK.
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The new fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus in the UK has led to many countries around the world imposing travel bans on Britain to prevent its spread.
Yet the mutation known as the B117 lineage, which may be up to 70 per cent more infectious, has been detected in several countries.
Harsh lockdowns imposed by the UK Government have attempted to bring the latest COVID-19 outbreak under control.
ANALYSIS
Compliance with social distancing and infection control guidance will be more important than ever before in the UK s pandemic experience A WEEK ago I did not believe that politicians at Holyrood or Westminster would seriously contemplate another March-style, lengthy lockdown. But increasing alarm over not one, but two, highly contagious variant strains of the new coronavirus circulating in the UK has changed that. Now I find it difficult to imagine that we are facing anything else as we prepare to enter the new year. If the experience of South Africa and south-east England is anything to go by, softer circuit break restrictions will not be enough.
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine s researchers found that while the UK variant is 56% more transmissible, there s no evidence yet that it leads to more serious disease cases. Nevertheless, the increase in transmissibility is likely to lead to a large increase in incidence, with COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths projected to reach higher levels in 2021 than were observed in 2020, they said.
Threat assesment report
Here s what the European Centers for Disease Control stated
While the UK variant s origin remains a mystery, a new threat assessment report by the European Centers for Disease Control (E-CDC) says SARS-CoV-2 s mutation rate is two changes per month, as per molecular clock estimates.
London [UK], December 24 (ANI): The United Kingdom on Thursday has banned the entry of passengers travelling from South Africa after a second new variant of the coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, allegedly originating from South Africa was found in the country, said the Department of Transport.
US-based pharma company Moderna on Wednesday said that the immunity induced by its COVID-19 vaccine would be protective against the coronavirus variant reported in the UK.