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LONDON: British scientists are studying the impact of a new mutant variant of the coronavirus, called VUI-202012/01, on children and whether its faster transmission in parts of England is due to the younger segment of the population.
The Government’s Advisory Group on New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats (Nervtag) is monitoring data to analyze this variant arc, which has led more than 40 countries, including India, to suspend travel to and from from the UK in an attempt to contain the more infectious mutation.
Earlier strains of coronavirus had a harder time infecting children than adults, one explanation being that children have fewer doors called the ACE2 receptor that the virus uses to enter cells in the human body.
Professor Wendy Barclay, of Nervtag and Imperial College London, said mutations in the virus appeared to make it easier to break through those doors.
“Therefore, children may be as susceptible to this virus as adults, and therefore, given their mixing patterns, you would expect to see more children infected,” she explained.
Experts don’t believe the new version poses a greater threat to children’s health, and the scientist behind the world’s first approved vaccine against Covid-19 has said Pfizer / BioNTech jabs will work against the strain, well that further research is underway.
“The likelihood of our vaccine working… is relatively high,” said Ugur Sahin, managing director of German vaccine co-developer BioNTech.
Speaking on “Bild TV” in Germany, Sahin said his company would investigate the transfer in the coming days and that he viewed the matter “with a certain degree of sobriety”.
His message of confidence comes as the UK has reached the milestone of half a million needle shots, delivered to the elderly and the most vulnerable segments of the country’s population.
“Today I can report that over half a million people, over 500,000 people in the UK, have now received their first dose,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said during a briefing at the 10 Downing Street Monday night.
“I find it a reason for hope and confidence,” he said.
His speech came as nearly 1,500 trucks piled up at the borders as France sealed off the UK amid fears of the new, quick-spread variant. Government ministers have been working to get the blockage lifted, with mass testing of drivers being an option to get the flow of goods back on track and truckers to get home in time for Christmas.
“Tests of any kind are part of the discussions the transport secretary is currently having with his French counterpart,” said British Home Secretary Priti Patel.
“Setting up and running these tests can be done quite quickly, but as for the details, it’s something the Secretary of Transportation and his counterpart will discuss,” she said.
Since the first reports that the new variant is more confined to London and the south of England, the government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance has now confirmed that it is found “everywhere”. This would mean that a more national home lockdown could be on the verge of adding to the millions already below Level 4 of the most stringent restrictions and closings of businesses and activities.
Scotland Yard issued a statement urging the public to comply with the measures, which ban different households from mixing together to try to curb the rapid spread of the deadly virus.
“Our message is clear. Anyone who thinks the rules are there to be broken, ignored, or don’t apply to them is very wrong. The rules are that you have to stay home. It is for your safety, safety. your family and friends, and the safety of your communities, ”said Commander Alex Murray, Head of Covid Metropolitan Police.
Police forces in the UK have the power to impose hefty fines for breaking the rules and the most egregious cases can lead to arrest as well.
The warnings come as the UK recorded a daily total of infections of 33,364 on Monday, with the death rate from Covid-19 rising to 67,616.
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The Government’s Advisory Group on New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats (Nervtag) is monitoring data to analyze this variant arc, which has led more than 40 countries, including India, to suspend travel to and from from the UK in an attempt to contain the more infectious mutation.
Earlier strains of coronavirus had a harder time infecting children than adults, one explanation being that children have fewer doors called the ACE2 receptor that the virus uses to enter cells in the human body.
Professor Wendy Barclay, of Nervtag and Imperial College London, said mutations in the virus appeared to make it easier to break through those doors.
“Therefore, children may be as susceptible to this virus as adults, and therefore, given their mixing patterns, you would expect to see more children infected,” she explained.
Experts don’t believe the new version poses a greater threat to children’s health, and the scientist behind the world’s first approved vaccine against Covid-19 has said Pfizer / BioNTech jabs will work against the strain, well that further research is underway.
“The likelihood of our vaccine working… is relatively high,” said Ugur Sahin, managing director of German vaccine co-developer BioNTech.
Speaking on “Bild TV” in Germany, Sahin said his company would investigate the transfer in the coming days and that he viewed the matter “with a certain degree of sobriety”.
His message of confidence comes as the UK has reached the milestone of half a million needle shots, delivered to the elderly and the most vulnerable segments of the country’s population.
“Today I can report that over half a million people, over 500,000 people in the UK, have now received their first dose,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said during a briefing at the 10 Downing Street Monday night.
“I find it a reason for hope and confidence,” he said.
His speech came as nearly 1,500 trucks piled up at the borders as France sealed off the UK amid fears of the new, quick-spread variant. Government ministers have been working to get the blockage lifted, with mass testing of drivers being an option to get the flow of goods back on track and truckers to get home in time for Christmas.
“Tests of any kind are part of the discussions the transport secretary is currently having with his French counterpart,” said British Home Secretary Priti Patel.
“Setting up and running these tests can be done quite quickly, but as for the details, it’s something the Secretary of Transportation and his counterpart will discuss,” she said.
Since the first reports that the new variant is more confined to London and the south of England, the government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance has now confirmed that it is found “everywhere”. This would mean that a more national home lockdown could be on the verge of adding to the millions already below Level 4 of the most stringent restrictions and closings of businesses and activities.
Scotland Yard issued a statement urging the public to comply with the measures, which ban different households from mixing together to try to curb the rapid spread of the deadly virus.
“Our message is clear. Anyone who thinks the rules are there to be broken, ignored, or don’t apply to them is very wrong. The rules are that you have to stay home. It is for your safety, safety. your family and friends, and the safety of your communities, ”said Commander Alex Murray, Head of Covid Metropolitan Police.
Police forces in the UK have the power to impose hefty fines for breaking the rules and the most egregious cases can lead to arrest as well.
The warnings come as the UK recorded a daily total of infections of 33,364 on Monday, with the death rate from Covid-19 rising to 67,616.
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