A new variant of the coronavirus is sweeping through southern England, increasing the number of infections, but authorities don’t believe that this strain will lead to more serious cases nor do they believe it will be resistant to new vaccines, the Washington Post reports.
“I must stress at this point that there is currently nothing to suggest that this variant is more likely to cause serious disease, and the latest clinical advice is that it’s highly unlikely that this mutation would fail to respond to a vaccine,” UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said. “But it shows we’ve got to be vigilant and follow the rules and everyone needs to take personal responsibility not to spread this virus.”
Hancock said more than 1,000 cases involving the new strain have been identified and that the strain is spreading rapidly.