New virus strain in county
MUTATED VARIANT OF COVID HAS BEEN DETECTED
A MUTATED strand of coronavirus spreading across the country has been detected in Derbyshire.
The strain, thought to have originated in the South East, has now been found in 57 UK areas by scientists who sequenced its genetic code.
A MUTATED strand of coronavirus which is spreading across the country has been detected in Derbyshire, according to new research.
The strain, thought to have originated in the South East, has now been found in 57 UK areas by scientists who sequenced its genetic code.
There is one Derbyshire area where the variant, known as VUI202012/01, has been detected, reports the Derby Telegraph’s sister publication The Mirror.
The strain has been found near Matlock, according to research carried out by the Covid-19 Genomics UK Consortium (COG-UK).
Other East Midlands areas reported to have also produced samples are Eakring, a village in Nottinghamshire, and Woodhall Spa, a town in Lincolnshire.
Cases are also said to have been found in the Leicester area, and other cities including Liverpool, Manchester, and Birmingham.
These cases could only be a snapshot of the real picture as not all Covid-19 patients have samples taken so their virus can have its genome sequenced.
Experts are currently analysing 3,000 samples suspected of being the new variant. Public Health England had only previously announced 1,000 confirmed cases.
Jeffrey Barrett, lead statistical geneticist at COG-UK, said there was a time lag so the data was from the first week of December when England came out of the second national lockdown.
He said: “They’re relatively small numbers but I think it is important to be aware that it is certainly not the case that this is just completely geographically constrained to what is the current Tier 4 area.”
The new variant led to London and parts of southern and eastern England being rushed into the new Tier 4 regime at the weekend, effectively cancelling Christmas plans and imposing measures similar to previous national lockdowns. Experts have said it is more infectious than the previous strain of Covid. They are assessing whether it is as dangerous or whether current vaccines will be effective against it.
Dean Wallace, director of public health for Derbyshire, says he and his team are carefully monitoring the situation regarding the new strain.
Mr Wallace said: “It’s not unusual for viruses to mutate and for new strains to emerge.
“While the new strain of Covid-19 appears to spread much more easily than the original virus, it is not thought to cause more severe disease.
“Since it was identified in October, this new variant has mainly been seen in the South East and East of England up to now, where cases have risen rapidly. But it’s likely that we will see cases in Derbyshire and we’ll be monitoring the situation carefully.
“The best way to prevent the new strain from spreading in your area is still ‘hands, face, space – regular hand-washing, wear a face covering in enclosed spaces and keep a twometre distance from others.
“And of course, if you have any of the main symptoms such as a high temperature, a change in smell or taste or a new, continuous cough, then stay at home and book a test.”
The following is a list of Midlands areas where the new Covid strain has been identified, according to COG-UK:
■ Near Oldbury
■ In Kenilworth near Coventry
■ Near Stafford
■ Near Matlock
■ Near Eakring in Nottinghamshire
■ Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire
■ In the Leicester area
■ In Worcester
■ In Hereford
It’s likely that we will see cases in Derbyshire and we’ll be monitoring the situation carefully.
Dean Wallace