NEW DELHI: An extremely contagious new double-mutant Covid-19 variant first detected in India has now been found in the UK, prompting an appeal to Boris Johnson to cancel his trip to India.
The B1617 variant was indicated by Public Health England on Thursday as a ‘variant under investigation’, meaning it relates to epidemiological, immunological or pathogenic characteristics and should be investigated. PHE said it had identified 77 cases of the Indian variant in Britain by 14 April – 73 cases in England and four in Scotland.
Variants that were first detected in Kent in the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa were subsequently called ‘variants of concern’ in the United Kingdom. The Kent (UK) variant (also known as B117) remains the dominant variant in Britain.
PHE said: ‘The variant first detected in India contains a number of mutations, including E484Q, L452R and P681R.’
E484Q and L452R are found separately in other coronavirus variants, but they were found for the first time in India.
“PHE has identified 77 cases of this variant in the UK and all appropriate public health interventions will be undertaken, including improved contact detection. PHE and international partners are closely monitoring the situation, ”said PHE.
Together, it is known that E484Q and L452R are more contagious, more transmissible and evade antibodies. It is likely that the Indian variant is at least partially driving the current exponential increase in cases in India which is putting pressure on the health infrastructure of India.
Professor Christina Pagel, a member of Independent Sage, a group of independent scientists who provide scientific advice to the UK government and director of the Operational Research Unit at UCL, tweeted: ‘B1617 is worrying because it raises some potential concerns. have mutations that are NOT seen in SA, Kent or Brazil. This variant can escape the action of both T cell and antibodies. India is going through a huge boom – mix of B117 and new B1617. Johnson should not travel to Delhi this month! frenzy! You can not transfer Covid by Zoom. The situation in India is very bad and worse. It is frankly insane that Bangladesh and Pakistan are on the UK travel list but India is not. ”
International visitors who have traveled to or from countries on the British Red List in the previous ten days will be denied entry to Britain. Only British citizens and those staying in Britain will be allowed in and they will be forced to enter a ten-day compulsory quarantine in a hotel approved by the government at a cost of £ 1,750 (Rs 1.7 lakh). per adult and undergo Covid-19 tests. .
Pakistan and Bangladesh were added to the UK travel red list on 9 April. But India has so far not been placed on the list.
The B1617 variant was indicated by Public Health England on Thursday as a ‘variant under investigation’, meaning it relates to epidemiological, immunological or pathogenic characteristics and should be investigated. PHE said it had identified 77 cases of the Indian variant in Britain by 14 April – 73 cases in England and four in Scotland.
Variants that were first detected in Kent in the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa were subsequently called ‘variants of concern’ in the United Kingdom. The Kent (UK) variant (also known as B117) remains the dominant variant in Britain.
PHE said: ‘The variant first detected in India contains a number of mutations, including E484Q, L452R and P681R.’
E484Q and L452R are found separately in other coronavirus variants, but they were found for the first time in India.
“PHE has identified 77 cases of this variant in the UK and all appropriate public health interventions will be undertaken, including improved contact detection. PHE and international partners are closely monitoring the situation, ”said PHE.
Together, it is known that E484Q and L452R are more contagious, more transmissible and evade antibodies. It is likely that the Indian variant is at least partially driving the current exponential increase in cases in India which is putting pressure on the health infrastructure of India.
Professor Christina Pagel, a member of Independent Sage, a group of independent scientists who provide scientific advice to the UK government and director of the Operational Research Unit at UCL, tweeted: ‘B1617 is worrying because it raises some potential concerns. have mutations that are NOT seen in SA, Kent or Brazil. This variant can escape the action of both T cell and antibodies. India is going through a huge boom – mix of B117 and new B1617. Johnson should not travel to Delhi this month! frenzy! You can not transfer Covid by Zoom. The situation in India is very bad and worse. It is frankly insane that Bangladesh and Pakistan are on the UK travel list but India is not. ”
International visitors who have traveled to or from countries on the British Red List in the previous ten days will be denied entry to Britain. Only British citizens and those staying in Britain will be allowed in and they will be forced to enter a ten-day compulsory quarantine in a hotel approved by the government at a cost of £ 1,750 (Rs 1.7 lakh). per adult and undergo Covid-19 tests. .
Pakistan and Bangladesh were added to the UK travel red list on 9 April. But India has so far not been placed on the list.