Coronavirus mutation spreading rapidly in the UK may cancel Christmas

[Chris Smith]

• The UK government has announced stricter lockdown measures after learning that the B.1.1.7 coronavirus mutation seems to be up to 70% more infection than the previous strain.
• The new strain has acquired 17 different changes, which might be a record for SARS-CoV-2 mutations. The UK strain has some similarities to the South African mutation, but they don’t match.
• Experts say the UK COVID-19 mutation isn't immune to current vaccines, although the strain does feature changes that impact the spike protein.

Researchers have recently discovered two distinct coronavirus mutations that might affect how the virus spreads. One appeared in the UK, where researchers found it to be spreading faster in some regions. The other was discovered in South Africa, with health experts warning that it wasn’t just becoming the dominant strain; it was also causing more severe illness in young people without pre-existing conditions. Young people were previously most likely to either be asymptomatic or have a mild case and they will also be vaccinated last.

These aren’t the first coronavirus mutations to receive widespread coverage. The D614G mutation that made the virus more infectious in March is the best-known variation of SARS-CoV-2. Cluster 5 from Denmark is also prominent, as researchers feared that it had pandemic potential of its own before those worries were quelled. It now turns out that the UK strain, dubbed B.1.1.7, will ruin Christmas. It’s not just more infectious than the version it derived from -- it might also be connected to the South African strain.

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Coronavirus mutation spreading rapidly in the UK may cancel Christmas originally appeared on BGR.com on Mon, 21 Dec 2020 at 18:49:59 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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