New Covid variant found in UK has concerning mutations - expert [View all]
Source: BBC
The discovery of a new Covid-19 variant in the UK, which was first identified in India, features two mutations that could be a cause for concern, an expert has said. Public Health England has reported that 73 cases of the B.1.617 variant have been confirmed in England, as well as four cases in Scotland.
The new variant has been classified as a Variant Under Investigation by PHE. Prof Paul Hunter, a professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia, says the variant features two "escape mutations" - E484Q and L452R - that "are causing people to be concerned". He adds: "There's laboratory evidence that both of these are escape mutations.
"Basically, applying what we know about other human coronaviruses would suggest that this is going to be even less controlled by vaccine. "But we don't know that for certain at the moment."
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