COVID-19 variant first detected in UK undergoing mutation of concern: BBC
Xinhua
1612272927000

A woman walks past Coronavirus health warnings at a bus stop in West Ealing in west London, on February 2, 2021. (Photo: AFP)

LONDON, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- The coronavirus variant first detected in Britain has been undergoing a mutation of concern that could help the virus evade the immune system, local media reported Tuesday.

Tests on some samples have showed the mutation called E484K, which has already seen in the variants related to South Africa and Brazil that are causing international concern, according to the BBC.

Calum Semple, a member of the British government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), said the mutation is currently "of most concern".

"The mutation of most concern, which we call E484K, has also occurred spontaneously in the new Kent strain in parts of the country too," Semple told the BBC.

The mutation had already been reported in a technical briefing published by Public Health England, according to Sky News.

Julian Tang, a virus expert at the University of Leicester, urged the public to abide by the lockdown rules to prevent opportunities for the virus to mutate further.

"Otherwise not only can the virus continue to spread, it can also evolve," Tang was quoted by the BBC as saying.

On Monday, urgent testing for coronavirus was launched in parts of Britain amid concerns over community transmission of the virus variant related to South Africa.

Around 80,000 people live in the eight areas in England, including Surrey, London and Kent, are being targeted. Those over 16 years old are asked to take tests whether they have symptoms or not, according to the BBC.

The development came after 11 cases cannot be directly traced back to people who had travelled to South Africa, prompting fears there may be community transmission of the variant.

Early study had suggested that the variant related to South Africa is more transmissible and there are signs it could make vaccines a little less effective, according to the BBC.

In a bid to reassure the public, the British Department for Health and Social Care said: "There is currently no evidence to suggest this variant is more serious than others, or that the regulated vaccine would not protect against it."

Britain aims to deliver a first dose to 15 million of the most vulnerable by mid-February and to offer all adults their first dose by autumn.

England is currently under the third national lockdown since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country. Similar restriction measures are also in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Germany, Russia and the United States have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines.