The UK is in a “very good position” against emerging coronavirus variants, with vaccines working and disease rates falling, an expert has said.
The comments come after Public Health England (PHE) upgraded the strain first detected in India – B.1.617.2 – to a variant of concern.
Sharon Peacock, director of the Covid-19 Genomics UK Consortium (COG-UK), and professor of public health and microbiology at the University of Cambridge, said that, based on current evidence, there is nothing to suggest the Indian variant causes more severe disease than the Kent variant which is dominant in the UK.
However, she warned that a lack of evidence is not the same as no evidence, and that there is just not enough data at the moment.
Experts optimistic as India Covid variant takes hold in UK Looking at the overall landscape, I’m still very delighted that vaccines are working
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The UK is in a “very good position” regarding emerging Covid-19 coronavirus variants - such as the Indian strain - with vaccines working and disease rates falling, an expert has said.
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Live Leeds Covid news as government set to announce travel green list
Portugal, Iceland, Malta, Israel and Gibraltar are expected to make the cut
Holidaymakers are expected to find out today which countries have been added to the travel green list.
The government is due to announce destinations that can be visited without quarantining this summer, with Portugal, Iceland and Malta expected to make the list.
Once restrictions ease further on May 17, travel will be permitted again but the government is introducing a traffic light system to make it safe.
It comes after scientists are stepping up preparations for an autumn booster vaccination campaign to protect against a third wave of coronavirus.
COMMENT The rest of the world, might be less enthused to hear about UK plans for venturing forth WHEN Boris Johnson takes to the podium today to announce the easing of travel restrictions for England, the east coast of Scotland will be preparing for hail showers. Ah, the joys of summer. It’s lucky we didn’t cast our clouts prematurely. This strange limbo between voting in elections and learning the results is bound to be filled with talk of sunnier, happier times – package holidays, city breaks, any kind of escape from the place dubbed “Plague Island” due to its disastrous response to the pandemic.