Britain announced that it was temporarily banning flights from South Africa and five other countries as of 1200 GMT on Friday and that British travelers returning from those destinations would have to self-quarantine.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said that all flights from South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Botswana They will be suspended tomorrow from 12 GMT. “Our scientists are deeply concerned about this variant,” said Javid.
The UK Health Security Agency claimed that the variant, called B.1.1.529, has a spike protein that was dramatically different from the original coronavirus on which COVID-19 vaccines are based. He assured that no cases of the variant had been detected in Great Britain and that they were in contact with South African colleagues about their data.
The variant has mutations that probably elude the immune response generated by both previous infection and vaccination, and also mutations associated with increased infectivity. Laboratory studies are needed to assess the likelihood that the mutations will result in greatly reduced vaccine efficacy, scientists said.
Officials have warned the government about the need to act quickly and preventively in case concerns about the impact of the variant are confirmed, although it could take weeks to generate all the necessary information about its characteristics.
Earlier on Thursday, South African scientists said they had detected the new COVID-19 variant in small quantities and were working to understand its possible implications.
The variant has a “very unusual constellation” of mutations, which are concerning because they could help it evade the body’s immune response and make it more transmissible, the scientists told reporters at a news conference. It has also been found in Botswana and Hong Kong.
Source From: Ambito
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