A new variant of COVID in the UK: What the world needs to know
By: Aima Tariq
Tags: Pandemic, Coronavirus, Coronavirus Update, UK, Corona

The world is banning flights to and from the UK because of the discovery of a new, more infectious strain of SARS-CoV-2. Alarmed by the fast-spreading virus, the Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed a wholesale lockdown on London and most of England’s Southwest, tightening restrictions over Christmas.

“The new variant is out of control, we need to bring it under control. I think it will be very difficult until the vaccine has rolled out.”- Matt Hancock, UK’s health secretary.

The new variant found in the UK is under a lot of attention and analysis.Here is what the experts have learned so far:

Is the UK variant out of the ordinary?

No. It is just one of the many variations of the SARS-CoV-2 that has spread all over the world. Variations occur while the virus is replicating, forming a modified version of the previous one. The UK variant is called B.1.1.7 and it has a higher, up to 70% transmissibility, making it stronger than the other variants.

Are the symptoms different?

Not really. The broad symptoms of this virus are the same- fever, persistent dry cough, loss or change in taste and smell, nausea, aches and chills. But whether or not the new COVID strain carries different/pernicious symptoms, is yet to be found out. What is to be concerned about this new variant is that, it infects children more easily than adults but that doesn't mean that it is ineffective on adults.

Where did this unusual Supervirus come from?

This question is mootable. It was found in some patients as early as in September. This new strain is believed to have originated from the UK in South-East England, according to WHO.

Another possibility is that the variant went through several mutations inside some specific hosts and therefore transmitting to other people.

Process of Mutation:

It is such that when a virus enters a person with a ‘healthy immune system’, it is invaded and fought by the cells of the immune system. Initially, the person shows symptoms of that specific virus for a few days but in the end, it is cleared off. Like any other virus, it is the same for COVID-19.

But the difference between a virus infecting a healthy immune system and a weak immune system is that the virus remains for a longer time in the unhealthy person’s body, giving it enough time to replicate/reproduce and therefore mutate. This causes a better and a more modified version of the virus, to infect the person other than the patient himself, through cough and sneeze droplets- transmission. And this is how the UK variant has spread across the country.

Is it more infectious than others?

There is no surety for that. According to WHO and UK’s Cheif Medical Officer, Chris Whitty, it is too early to tell. He says;

“There is no current evidence to suggest the new strain causes a higher mortality rate or that it affects vaccines and treatments although urgent work is underway to confirm this.”

But what makes it more dangerous, is its transmission rate. In London, over 60% of all the cases reported were caused by the new variant. According to experts, mutations have caused the virus to have a 50–70% increased transmission rate.

Coronavirus (Photo by Viktor Forgacs on Unsplash)

Has it spread in any other country?

Some cases have been reported outside the UK who have been infected with the Covid-20 in places including Australia and Denmark, but there is no evidence that it is spreading broadly. A few cases have also been reported in the USA as was told by Anthony Fauci in Good Morning America. He said;

“When you have this amount of spread within a place like the U.K., you really need to assume that it’s here already. And certainly is not the dominant strain, but I would not be surprised at all if it’s already here”

Measures taken by the UK Government:

The UK government has taken effective measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Apart from banning flights and imposing a strict lockdown, the UK has also established a much stronger system to monitor COVID for new mutations.

Large parts of England, including London and South-West, are now under strict Tier 4 COVID-19 restrictions. Earlier, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had been committed to not putting any restrictions and imposing any lockdown, but on taking advice from his ministers in a meeting held on Monday. But then he said in a press conference;

“This is now spreading very fast. It is with a very heavy heart that I say we cannot continue with Christmas as planned.”

Alert Level 4 restrictions will be imposed across Wales as announced by the country’s First Minister Mark Drakefored. Under Alert Level 4, people must stay at home except for very limited purposes.

Will it show ineffectiveness for the developed vaccines?

At the moment, it is unclear. There is no clear evidence that the current vaccines won’t work against the new strain, as said by experts. The companies that created authorized vaccines for SARS-CoV-2, Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech, are testing the efficiency of the vaccines for CVID-20.

According to them, the vaccines create immunity against the virus by inducing them to make antibodies to the spike protein of the Coronavirus. The replication of virus is such that it enters the body cells and forces it to form replica of the virus cell. What the antibody, produced as a result of the vaccines does, is that it sticks to the tip of the spike protein and stops it from entering the body cell. Result: More viruses are not formed.

Should we panic?

No, we shouldn't. It is normal for a virus to mutate into a modified version and for our body to produce antibodies to fight against it. It is a like linear relationship. Also that, it is most probable that the already developed vaccines will be effective against the UK variant of Covid. And even if a few further developments are required in the vaccines, it will take only a few months for it to becomes affordable and efficient. We should continue wearing masks when in public , prevent going in crowded places and maintaining the required hygine.