Scientists fear a surge in cases of the highly transmissible Indian Covid variant could jeopardise plans to ease lockdown, according to reports.
Boris Johnson told Parliament today that the subtype of the ‘double mutant’ variant, called B.1617.2, is of ‘increasing concern’.
It is understood members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) have been called for an emergency meeting on Thursday to asses the threat of the increasing number of cases.
According to the i, UK cases of the variant have more than tripled in the past week and experts are concerned the spike could throw the government’s lockdown plans off course.
Two weeks ago, 202 cases of the variant were identified across the UK. Those figures doubled to 520 last week.
Public Health England (PHE) subsequently listed B.1617.2 as a ‘variant of concern’.
New figures from the COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium, which tracks and identifies new variants, has since reportedly recorded 1,723 cases.
A Sage member told the paper that although the next stage of easing lockdown restrictions will go ahead on Monday, a ‘delay is possible’ to the fourth and final step planned for June 21.
Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious diseases expert at the University of East Anglia, said the new variant is ‘really taking off’.
He pointed out that in the last week, there has been a 12% increase on the previous seven-day period.
Prof Hunter said this was the largest week-on-week increase since early January and suggested the new variant could be behind it.
He told MailOnline: ‘There has been a lot of debate about when and if a further wave of infection will happen in the UK. The reports today suggest that this wave may have already begun.
‘That hospitalisations have yet to increase would be consistent with the view that the vaccine is still effective at reducing the risk of severe disease and gives hope that this new wave, if it indeed continues, will be less damaging to the NHS.’
Their comments come after the latest data showed that the majority of cases of the variant are concentrated in Bolton and London.
And almost half of the detected cases of the variant were related to travel, or contact with a traveller, said PHE.
Health officials in Bolton have ramped up efforts to control the spread of the virus in the town with surge testing and a strengthened vaccination campaign.
Bolton Council’s director of public health, Dr Helen Lowey, said: ‘There is no evidence these variants cause more severe illness, there is some evidence that the Indian variant spreads more easily than other Covid-19 variants so it is the one that we want to stop and contain.
‘We are working closely with our partners across the community to identify people who have the virus, to increase the numbers of our eligible residents having the vaccine and to remind us all that Covid has not gone away.’
The Indian variant was reclassified as ‘concerning’ after scientists found evidence it is at least as transmissible as the variant detected in Kent last year – which was 70% more contagious than other known strains at the time.
The Kent strain became the dominant Covid-19 variant in the UK in a matter of weeks, causing the third wave of the pandemic and leaving hospitals struggling.
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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMidGh0dHBzOi8vbWV0cm8uY28udWsvMjAyMS8wNS8xMi9zdXJnZS1pbi11ay1jYXNlcy1vZi1pbmRpYW4tY292aWQtdmFyaWFudC1jb3VsZC1kZWxheS1sb2NrZG93bi1mZWFyLWV4cGVydHMtMTQ1NzExMTEv0gF4aHR0cHM6Ly9tZXRyby5jby51ay8yMDIxLzA1LzEyL3N1cmdlLWluLXVrLWNhc2VzLW9mLWluZGlhbi1jb3ZpZC12YXJpYW50LWNvdWxkLWRlbGF5LWxvY2tkb3duLWZlYXItZXhwZXJ0cy0xNDU3MTExMS9hbXAv?oc=5
2021-05-12 22:37:00Z
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