Tolga Akmen/WPA Pool/Getty Image
Many countries have closed their borders to people leaving the UK due to the rapid spread within the country of a new variant of the coronavirus that might be more transmissible. Meanwhile, South Africa is also reporting the spread of another new variant. Here’s what you need to know.
What do we know about the new UK variant so far?
B.1.1.7, as it is known, has 17 mutations compared with the original SARS-CoV-2 virus first discovered in Wuhan, China, including eight that may change the shape of the outer spike protein. Many of these mutations have been found before, but to have so many in a single virus is unusual. It was first sequenced in the UK on 20 September, but only caught the attention of scientists on 8 December, when they were looking for reasons for the rapid growth of cases in south-east England. On 14 December, the UK’s health minister, Matt Hancock, told parliament that a new variant that seems to spread faster had been identified
To improve the performance of our website, show the most relevant news products and targeted advertising, we collect technical impersonal information about you, including through the tools of our partners. You can find a detailed description of how we use your data in our Privacy Policy. For a detailed description of the technologies, please see the Cookie and Automatic Logging Policy.
By clicking on the Accept & Close button, you provide your explicit consent to the processing of your data to achieve the above goal.
You can withdraw your consent using the method specified in the Privacy Policy.
Accept & Close
Sputnik International
Speaking on RTÉ s News At One, he added, there is no evidence at this point in time that the virus should pose a significant concern .
He reassured the public that while it was not impossible, it was very unlikely that a single mutation would knock out the vaccine response.
Martin McKee, Professor of European Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, also described the new variant of Covid-19 as not significantly different .
It should not take too long to see if the new vaccines will work on it, he told RTÉ s Morning Ireland.
Professor McKee said news of the new strain of the virus was announced in a very unusual way, particularly given that there have been so many other mutations over the past number of months that were not announced in the same way .
International News
Dec 15, 2020
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte imposed a tough new five-week nationwide lockdown Monday, saying schools, nonessential shops, museums and gyms will close down at midnight until Jan. 19.
“We have to bite through this very sour apple before things get better,” a somber Rutte said in a televised address to the nation.
As Rutte spoke from his office in The Hague, protesters could be heard blowing whistles outside.
“The reality is that this is is not an innocent flu as some people like the demonstrators outside think,” Rutte said. “But a virus that can hit everybody hard.”
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte imposed a tough new five-week nationwide lockdown Monday, saying schools, nonessential shops, museums and gyms will close down at midnight until Jan. 19.
“We have to bite through this very sour apple before things get better,” a somber Rutte said in a televised address to the nation.
As Rutte spoke from his office in The Hague, protesters could be heard blowing whistles outside.
“The reality is that this is is not an innocent flu as some people like the demonstrators outside think,” Rutte said. But a virus that can hit everybody hard.”