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23 Dec, 2020 17:08

UK discovers another even ‘more transmissible’ coronavirus variant – health secretary

UK discovers another even ‘more transmissible’ coronavirus variant – health secretary

UK Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, has sounded the alarm after yet another variant of the coronavirus, which is believed to be even more contagious that the previous one, had been found in the country.

“We’ve detected two cases of another new variant of coronavirus here in the UK,” Hancock said during a media briefing, calling the discovery “highly concerning.”

The newer strain “is yet more transmissible and it appears to have mutated further than the (first) new variant that’s been discovered in the UK,” he added.

This new coronavirus variant has entered Britain from South Africa, according to the Health Secretary.

It’s already the second mutated strain of Covid-19 announced by the UK authorities in the space of just two weeks.The previous one, which is thought to have emerged from Kent, is reportedly up to 70 percent more contagious than the original virus.

Also on rt.com UK’s Covid-19 infection rate rises to between 1.1 and 1.3 as new ‘highly contagious’ strain takes grip

It caused a fresh spike in new cases in Britain and saw countries around the globe shutting their borders to UK travelers in an attempt to stop the spread of the infection.

There are also concerns that the first mutation could be resistant to the coronavirus vaccines that are now being introduced to the public. However, there is no proof of it yet as well as no evidence suggesting it led to more deaths.

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