95% of infections ‘soon new variant’

ABOUT 95 per cent of Covid cases confirmed in Leicester will be the new variant in as little as three to four weeks, public health bosses predict.

Rob Howard, a consultant in public health for Leicester City Council said: “The last time I saw some figures, for Leicester, about 50 per cent of all new cases were the new UK variant.

“We’re predicting that if the pattern is similar to what is happening in the south, it will only take a matter of three or four weeks for that to become 95 per cent.

“This new variant, because it is about 70 per cent more infectious and transmissible, will take over and become the dominant variant. That is a huge upward pressure on the numbers.”

“Effectively, it’s not more serious in terms of making people more ill.

“It doesn’t transmit in different ways, but it’s thought the amount of virus an infected person contains is much higher and so it’s easier to transmit. So, in the past, if you weren’t observing social distancing or you didn’t bother putting your mask on, you might have got away with it.

“You are much less likely to get away with it with this new variant which is why it is even more important that people stick to those standard things like social distancing, wearing masks and handwashing.

“All that stuff that we say again and again and people get sick of hearing is really important.”

The new variant is one of three factors contributing to the current situation, Rob said.

The other big factors are cases caught over Christmas and new year, and the national lockdown.