A new COVID-19 strain has been found in the United Kingdom, and it's important that you know the facts as they are known about what this means.
Firstly, viruses mutate all the time as they circulate through populations. Sometimes it can even mean a virus becomes less deadly or less virulent.
Whilst we don't know yet much about this strain of the virus, what we do know is that it is prevalent in Southern England, and appears to have spread quickly in that region, and most importantly we know from preliminary reports that this mutation has an increased rapidity of transmission. That is why the Government has responded swiftly to its discovery.
However, please be reassured that it is highly unlikely that this new variant will not respond to one of the vaccines the Government has purchased. Additionally, there is no evidence to suggest that this strain of COVID-19 is more severe, nor is there any evidence that current tests do not work to detect the virus.
Government scientists are culturing the new strain in labs right now, to discover exactly what this new strain means for us, and that will take up to two weeks. Whatever the result, the emergence of the new variant is a reminder to us all to keep following the rules, use caution and keep the virus from spreading. That way we will protect lives.
