Babak Belurs

Selasa, 02 Februari 2021

COVID-19: Mutation of Kent variant detected in samples could help virus evade immune system - Sky News

A mutation of the Kent COVID variant that has been detected in some samples could help the virus evade the immune system, scientists have found.

The mutation, which has been labelled E484K, has also been found in the South Africa variant of the coronavirus.

It was found in 11 samples of some 200,000 that have been sequenced.

Sky's science correspondent Thomas Moore said it was a "worrying development" as it could mean those previously infected could be re-infected and could reduce the effectiveness of COVID vaccines.

He said the evolution of E484K meant the virus had effectively "developed a superpower" which enabled it to not only infect cells, but also to invade the immune system.

"It changes shape so antibodies don't recognise it in the same way, and the fact that this mutation has been now picked up in some samples of the Kent variant is a twist - a worrying development.

"It potentially means that people who have had the infection before, might be re-infected and also that it might reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine - not completely; the vaccine would still protects against serious infection and death - but perhaps that it wouldn't stop it spreading."

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2021-02-02 11:41:24Z
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Alcohol deaths hit record high during Covid pandemic - BBC News

Deaths caused by alcohol hit a new high during the first nine months of 2020, provisional figures for England and Wales show.

Between January and September, 5,460 of these deaths causes were registered - up 16% on the same months in 2019.

It is the biggest toll recorded since the records began in 2001.

The high rates spanned the period during and after first Covid lockdown, the Office for National Statistics figures show.

It reached a peak of 12.8 deaths per 100,000 people in the first three months of 2020 and remained at this level through to September - higher than in any other time on record.

As in past years, rates of male alcohol-specific deaths were twice those seen for women.

Experts say the coronavirus pandemic will have had little effect on how the data was gathered and recorded.

It is not clear how much it may have contributed to the deaths, however.

ONS spokesman Ben Humberstone said: "Today's data shows that in the first three quarters of 2020, alcohol-specific deaths in England and Wales reached the highest level since the beginning of our data series, with April to September, during and after the first lockdown, seeing higher rates compared to the same period in previous years."

"The reasons for this are complex and it will take time before the impact the pandemic has had on alcohol-specific deaths is fully understood."

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2021-02-02 10:16:00Z
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Nicola Sturgeon's husband rejects Alex Salmond Inquiry evidence invite - Daily Record

Nicola Sturgeon’s husband has been criticised after refusing an invitation to give further evidence to the :Alex Salmond Inquiry today.

Peter Murrell, who is also SNP chief executive, was recalled after MSPs hit out at some of the answers he gave to the Holyrood committee.

Tory MSP Murdo Fraser said: “Mr Murrell is showing complete contempt towards the Committee and must make himself available for questioning as a matter of urgency.”

A special Holyrood committee is examining how the SNP Government mishandled sexual misconduct complaints against Salmond.

Former First Minister Alex Salmond will give evidence next week (Image: PA)

The former SNP leader pursued legal action and it was accepted the internal Government probe had been unlawful.

The fiasco cost the taxpayer over £500,000 and destroyed the long-standing friendship between Nicola Sturgeon and Salmond, whose allies believe he was the victim of a plot.

Although the inquiry is focused on the Government, senior figures like Murrell have been drawn into the probe.

Scottish politics

Fraser said: “Peter Murrell’s refusal to reappear before the committee will only raise more suspicions about what he doesn’t want to answer about this case.

“The First Minister promised that the SNP Government would be open and transparent with this inquiry but now the Chief Executive of the SNP can’t even bring himself to be questioned again.

“His previous appearance was littered with contradictory statements which is why he should have been willing to clarify his evidence.”

The SNP has been contacted.

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2021-02-02 08:55:00Z
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Covid-19: People in South African variant test areas urged to 'think twice' - BBC News

People in areas that have been singled out for enhanced testing for the South African variant should further limit the time they spend away from home, a minister has said.

Universities minister Michelle Donelan said those affected should be "thinking twice about their actions".

On-the-spot doorstep tests, home testing kits and mobile testing units will be deployed in eight areas.

The health secretary said he wanted to "come down hard" on the variant.

It follows fears that the more infectious version may be spreading in communities in England.

Ms Donelan told BBC Breakfast that people in the targeted areas should be having a "conversation with their employer about making sure that they can work from home" and "limiting even more the time that they are outside of their house".

The enhanced testing programme aims to reach 80,000 people.

Matt Hancock said "finding every case" of the variant was the goal, with everyone over 16 in the targeted areas urged to take a test, whether they have symptoms or not.

Gene sequencing has so far uncovered 105 cases of the variant, which like the variant previously discovered in Kent is thought to be more contagious although not more deadly. Eleven of the cases of the South African variant had no link to foreign travel, prompting concerns it is spreading in the community.

Dr Susan Hopkins from Public Health England said the existing vaccines may offer less protection against the South African variant, although they still offer a good level of immunity.

The "surge testing" will take place in these eight areas linked to cases of the variant:

Parts of the ME15 postcode area in Kent,
Parts of the WS2 postcode area in Walsall in the West Midlands
Parts of the GU21 postcode area in Woking, Surrey
The CR4 postcode area around Pollards Hill in south London
Tottenham Hale in the N17 area of north London
The W7 area in Hanwell and West Ealing, London
The EN10 postcode area in Broxbourne
Parts of the PR9 area in Southport

In most of the areas, home testing kits are being delivered and collected, while some are also providing mobile testing sites. In Kent, police, council workers, firefighters and other agencies will visit homes to carry out on-the-spot tests of everyone in the household.

Sefton Council, which covers Southport, said on Monday it was still working out how the additional tests would be carried out, although it expected to establish dedicated testing sites for the new variant.

Mr Hancock also said it was "absolutely vital" that people in these areas where cases of the variant had been identified minimise all social contact.

Mass testing has previously been deployed in Liverpool, where more than 200,000 people were tested in November, detecting 800 asymptomatic cases.

It prompted plans to extend the testing programme to 67 areas of England, although concerns were raised about the reliability of the rapid "lateral flow" tests being used.

The "surge testing" being deployed in the eight areas where the South Africa variant was detected will, however, offer the more accurate PCR tests to people who need to leave home for work or other essential purposes.

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NEW VARIANTS: How worried should we be?
VACCINE: When will I get the jab?
LOCKDOWN TIPS: Five ways to stay positive
TEST AND TRACE: How does it work?

In December, the discovery of the new strain prompted a ban on foreign nationals travelling into the UK from South Africa and later from southern African countries.

Under current restrictions, people arriving into England from anywhere outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man need to isolate at home for 10 days and provide a negative Covid test result before travel.

A new system of quarantine requiring those arriving from countries under travel bans to isolate in hotels is due to be introduced in the coming weeks.

Labour, however, wants the government to go further and introduce a hotel quarantine system for all UK arrivals.

On Monday, the House of Commons voted 262-0 in favour of a non-binding motion to introduce such a system. All Conservative MPs abstained.

Labour's shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds accused the government of being "irresponsible" not to back the motion.

"We have to do everything we can" to protect against "mutations emerging elsewhere", he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Home Office minister Robert Courts said "blanket restrictions" had been considered but were "not appropriate".

"We are an island nation yet a global hub" and it was "critical" to keep freight moving, he added.

According to the Times, the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) warned Downing Street that only closing the borders or introducing mandatory quarantine for all would stop new variants entering the UK.

A government source told the BBC the report was "not accurate" and that the prime minister "was not advised to stop all travel".

The latest data shows that 9,296,367 first doses of the vaccine have now been given, with almost half of people in their 70s given a jab and almost 90% of over-80s.

Dr Hopkins said laboratory studies were being carried out to provide further evidence of the vaccines' effectiveness against new variants.

The three vaccines approved so far - Pfizer-BioNTech, Oxford-AstraZeneca and Moderna - all showed effectiveness against the South Africa variant that was higher than the minimum standard set by the World Health Organization and the US Food and Drug Administration, she said.

She said she expected other vaccines to have similar levels of effectiveness against the variant, particularly in reducing serious illness and deaths from the virus.

On Monday the UK recorded 18,607 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 and a further 406 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.

CHINA AND THE PANDEMIC: The gulf between what Chinese officials knew and what they told the world...
FOOTBALL, RACISM AND ME: Anton Ferdinand explores racism in the game from a personal perspective

Do you live in an area where the South Africa variant is suspected? Tell us your concerns by emailing: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:

WhatsApp: +44 7756 165803
Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay
Or fill out the form below
Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy

If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.

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2021-02-02 08:50:00Z
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Covid-19: People in South African variant test areas urged to 'think twice' - BBC News

People in areas that have been singled out for enhanced testing for the South African variant should further limit the time they spend away from home, a minister has said.

Universities minister Michelle Donelan said those affected should be "thinking twice about their actions".

On-the-spot doorstep tests, home testing kits and mobile testing units will be deployed in eight areas.

The health secretary said he wanted to "come down hard" on the variant.

It follows fears that the more infectious version may be spreading in communities in England.

The enhanced testing programme aims to reach 80,000 people.

Matt Hancock said "finding every case" of the variant was the goal, with everyone over 16 in the targeted areas urged to take a test, whether they have symptoms or not.

Dr Susan Hopkins from Public Health England said the existing vaccines may offer less protection against the South African variant, although they still offer a good level of immunity.

The "surge testing" will take place in these eight areas linked to cases of the variant:

Parts of the ME15 postcode area in Kent,
Parts of the WS2 postcode area in Walsall in the West Midlands
Parts of the GU21 postcode area in Woking, Surrey
The CR4 postcode area around Pollards Hill in south London
Tottenham Hale in the N17 area of north London
The W7 area in Hanwell and West Ealing, London
The EN10 postcode area in Broxbourne
Parts of the PR9 area in Southport

Mr Hancock also said it was "absolutely vital" that people in these areas where cases of the variant had been identified minimise all social contact.

Mass testing has previously been deployed in Liverpool, where more than 200,000 people were tested in November, detecting 800 asymptomatic cases.

It prompted plans to extend the testing programme to 67 areas of England, although concerns were raised about the reliability of the rapid "lateral flow" tests being used.

NEW VARIANTS: How worried should we be?
VACCINE: When will I get the jab?
LOCKDOWN TIPS: Five ways to stay positive
TEST AND TRACE: How does it work?

In December, the discovery of the new strain prompted a ban on foreign nationals travelling into the UK from South Africa and later from southern African countries.

A new system of quarantine requiring those arriving from countries under travel bans to isolate in hotels is due to be introduced in the coming weeks.

Labour, however, wants the government to go further and introduce a hotel quarantine system for all UK arrivals.

On Monday, the House of Commons voted 262-0 in favour of a non-binding motion to introduce such a system. All Conservative MPs abstained.

Labour's shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds accused the government of being "irresponsible" not to back the motion.

"We have to do everything we can" to protect against "mutations emerging elsewhere", he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme,

Home Office minister Robert Courts said "blanket restrictions" had been considered but were "not appropriate".

"We are an island nation yet a global hub" and it was "critical" to keep freight moving, he added.

A government source told the BBC the report was "not accurate" and that the prime minister "was not advised to stop all travel".

The latest data shows that 9,296,367 first doses of the vaccine have now been given, with almost half of people in their 70s given a jab and almost 90% of over-80s.

Dr Hopkins said laboratory studies were being carried out to provide further evidence of the vaccines' effectiveness against new variants.

She said she expected other vaccines to have similar levels of effectiveness against the variant, particularly in reducing serious illness and deaths from the virus.

On Monday the UK recorded 18,607 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 and a further 406 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.

CHINA AND THE PANDEMIC: The gulf between what Chinese officials knew and what they told the world...
FOOTBALL, RACISM AND ME: Anton Ferdinand explores racism in the game from a personal perspective

Do you live in an area where the South Africa variant is suspected? Tell us your concerns by emailing: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:

WhatsApp: +44 7756 165803
Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay
Or fill out the form below
Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Covid-19: Test blitz to 'find every case' of South African variant - BBC News

People in areas that have been singled out for enhanced testing for the South African variant should further limit the time they spend away from home, a minister has said.

Universities minister Michelle Donelan said those affected should be "thinking twice about their actions".

On-the-spot doorstep tests, home testing kits and mobile testing units will be deployed in eight areas.

The health secretary said he wanted to "come down hard" on the variant.

It follows fears that the more infectious version may be spreading in communities in England.

The enhanced testing programme aims to reach 80,000 people.

Matt Hancock said "finding every case" of the variant was the goal, with everyone over 16 in the targeted areas urged to take a test, whether they have symptoms or not.

Dr Susan Hopkins from Public Health England said the existing vaccines may offer less protection against the South African variant, although they still offer a good level of immunity.

The "surge testing" will take place in these eight areas linked to cases of the variant:

Parts of the ME15 postcode area in Kent,
Parts of the WS2 postcode area in Walsall in the West Midlands
Parts of the GU21 postcode area in Woking, Surrey
The CR4 postcode area around Pollards Hill in south London
Tottenham Hale in the N17 area of north London
The W7 area in Hanwell and West Ealing, London
The EN10 postcode area in Broxbourne
Parts of the PR9 area in Southport

Mr Hancock also said it was "absolutely vital" that people in these areas where cases of the variant had been identified minimise all social contact.

Mass testing has previously been deployed in Liverpool, where more than 200,000 people were tested in November, detecting 800 asymptomatic cases.

It prompted plans to extend the testing programme to 67 areas of England, although concerns were raised about the reliability of the rapid "lateral flow" tests being used.

NEW VARIANTS: How worried should we be?
VACCINE: When will I get the jab?
LOCKDOWN TIPS: Five ways to stay positive
TEST AND TRACE: How does it work?