Confirmed cases of new strain increase to 520 from 202 in one week
Travellers arrive at Heathrow Airport in London. Holidays abroad are set to resume on 17 May if the governments road map for lockdown easing continues. EPA
A worker walks past coronavirus disease mobile testing vehicles parked at a depot in London. Reuters
People exercise in a gym, as lockdown restrictions are eased at Maindy Leisure Centre, Cardiff, Wales. Reuters
Fans watch Blossom perform at a live music concert in Sefton Park in Liverpool, where a non-socially-distanced crowd of 5,000 are expected to attend. AFP
A man takes part in Cycle to Save Lives a 48 hour, non-stop static relay cycle challenge at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, also know as the Neasden Temple, the largest Hindu temple in the UK, in north London, to raise money to help coronavirus relief efforts in India. AP Photo
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May 7 2021, 13:30 ET
EXPERTS fear a new Indian variant could become the most dominant in the UK within a few weeks.
Cases of the strain have grown rapidly within just a few weeks, having been identified at least 752 times so far.
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Experts fear a new Indian variant could become the most dominant in the UK within a few weeks (stock of coronavirus)Credit: Reuters
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The second Indian variant, B.1.617.2, is growing rapidly in the UK
Prof Paul Hunter, of the Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, is concerned about the speed of growth.
He told The Sun: “I am worried because I think it’s become clear in the last week or so that this variant is increasing quite rapidly.
The strain – B1617.2 – is one of three related variants first seen in India which have been detected in the UK and designated “under investigation” by PHE.
The others are B1617.1 and B1617.3.
According to Channel 4 News, there have been at least 48 clusters of B1617.2, although overall numbers remain small.
PHE said updates on the number of cases due to be released on Thursday have been delayed due to “processing issues”.
According to the most recent data by PHE, there have been 193 confirmed cases of the B1617.1 variant, up by 61 since the last update on April 21.
The first report on the B1617.2 variant shows 202 cases, and the first report on the B1617.3 variant shows just five cases.
Meet the Other Social Influencers of the Animal Kingdom
Culture, once considered exclusive to humans, turns out to be widespread in nature.
A chimpanzee in the Chimfunshi wildlife sanctuary in Zambia, where one chimp began a tradition of wearing a blade of grass in the ear, which carried on after her death.Credit.David Pike/Alamy
May 7, 2021
Julia, her friends and family agreed, had style. When, out of the blue, the 18-year-old chimpanzee began inserting long, stiff blades of grass into one or both ears and then went about her day with her new statement accessories clearly visible to the world, the other chimpanzees at the Chimfunshi wildlife sanctuary in Zambia were dazzled.
• Updated: 07/05/2021 - 17:51
Scientists are trying to gauge the effects of London s air pollution by monitoring the health of school children s lungs.
Researchers from
Queen Mary University of London say children are especially vulnerable to traffic pollution. Evidence shows polluted areas worldwide lead to stunted lung growth, leaving them at risk of lifelong breathing disorders and earlier death. Pollution also triggers asthma, asthma attacks and chest infections.
A four-year-long study is underway in the UK capital to show whether attempts to improve the city s air quality, such as the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), are having an impact on young people s health.