Has 6,000 ‘rows’ of mutant virus - but Sheffield has only five
SCIENTISTS BELIEVE NEW COVID STRAIN IS 70PC MORE INFECTIOUS
THE new mutant strain of coronavirus is spreading rapidly across Huddersfield, new data shows.
Scientists believe the new strain of Covid-19 could be up to 70 per cent more infectious, with data showing that the mutated coronavirus has been spreading rapidly.
Yet while the new strain may be more infectious there is no evidence to suggest that the symptoms are more severe.
A new interactive map, designed by experts at the Covid-19 Genomics UK consortium (COG-UK) monitoring group, shows the worst-affected areas in the country – with Huddersfield the third worst.
This map measures how many ‘rows’ of the variant there are in each area. Huddersfield has a worrying 6,085 rows of the new variant as of January 1, despite remaining in Tier 3.
Doncaster has 5,750 rows, but Sheffield only shows five rows, suggesting the new variant has not spread as rapidly there.
Three weeks earlier, on December 10, Huddersfield is recorded as having 5,934 rows.
All three places remain in Tier 3 along with the rest of Yorkshire.
Places joining Huddersfield with the highest outbreak of the variant include London, with 14,944 rows, and Manchester, with 7,104.
A report released by the Government on Christmas Eve showed the new variant was in 21 per cent of cases in Yorkshire and the Humber between December 14 and 18.
Earlier estimates suggested only 5 per cent of cases in the wider region were the new variant, suggesting it is spreading further.