# 'Faster-spreading' coronavirus variant found in 60 local authority areas, says Hancock



## Northerner (Dec 14, 2020)

A new coronavirus variant identified in 60 local authority areas may be driving faster infection rates in parts of England - but is likely to respond to a vaccine, the health secretary has told parliament.

Matt Hancock said that 1,000 cases of the new variant had been found in the last month - predominantly in south-east England, but spread across 60 different local authorities.

The health secretary revealed that 'similar variants' had been found in other European countries in recent months, and told MPs that the government had informed the World Health Organisation (WHO) of its presence in England.

He said there was 'nothing to suggest' that the new coronavirus variant would fail to respond to COVID vaccines - and urged the public to be 'vigilant and follow the rules' to prevent spreading the virus.









						'Faster-spreading' coronavirus variant found in 60 local authority areas, says Hancock
					

A new coronavirus variant identified in 60 local authority areas may be driving faster infection rates in parts of England - but is likely to respond to a vaccine, the health secretary has told parliament.




					www.gponline.com
				




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## Hazel (Dec 14, 2020)

Does that mean the current vaccines will not work for these new cases


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## grovesy (Dec 14, 2020)

Hazel said:


> Does that mean the current vaccines will not work for these new cases


They seem to think that these vaccines will still work, but they are undertaken further tests to be sure.


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## Bruce Stephens (Dec 14, 2020)

Hazel said:


> Does that mean the current vaccines will not work for these new cases


They're probably fine.


__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1338535621636333569


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## Eddy Edson (Dec 14, 2020)

COG-UK's post just now: https://www.cogconsortium.uk/news_i...ant-and-how-cog-uk-tracks-emerging-mutations/

_The variant described today in the House of Commons contains a novel set of mutations associated with a lineage spreading rapidly in the South East of England (and more widely) that is the subject of ongoing investigations by the UK Public Health Agencies, coordinated by Public Health England and supported by COG-UK. This variant carries a set of mutations including an N501Y mutation in the receptor binding motif of the Spike protein that the virus uses to bind to the human ACE2 receptor.

Efforts are under way to confirm whether or not any of these mutations are contributing to increased transmission. There is currently no evidence that this variant (or any other studied to date) has any impact on disease severity, or that it will render vaccines less effective, although both questions require further studies performed at pace.  We will provide further updates as our investigations proceed._


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## grovesy (Dec 14, 2020)

Eddy Edson said:


> COG-UK's post just now: https://www.cogconsortium.uk/news_i...ant-and-how-cog-uk-tracks-emerging-mutations/
> 
> _The variant described today in the House of Commons contains a novel set of mutations associated with a lineage spreading rapidly in the South East of England (and more widely) that is the subject of ongoing investigations by the UK Public Health Agencies, coordinated by Public Health England and supported by COG-UK. This variant carries a set of mutations including an N501Y mutation in the receptor binding motif of the Spike protein that the virus uses to bind to the human ACE2 receptor.
> 
> Efforts are under way to confirm whether or not any of these mutations are contributing to increased transmission. There is currently no evidence that this variant (or any other studied to date) has any impact on disease severity, or that it will render vaccines less effective, although both questions require further studies performed at pace.  We will provide further updates as our investigations proceed._


Sky News here had a Epidemiological Virologist, on in the 6pm news slot, trying to ask her allsorts of questions on the mutation, and she said there had been no information on it published yet so she could not answer alot of the presenters questions, I felt sorry for her. Though the presenter was trying to push her for answers as if she was lying.


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## nonethewiser (Dec 14, 2020)

Virus is pulling the strings to stick around as long as possible, sooner masses vaccinated the better.


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## grovesy (Dec 14, 2020)

Well I doubt it will be any time soon.


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## nonethewiser (Dec 14, 2020)

grovesy said:


> Well I doubt it will be any time soon.



Slow going but will get there.


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## trophywench (Dec 14, 2020)

Our GP surgery is getting some, they've put that snippet on their website this very day.  It's the 80+ ones who'll get it first, and obviously we don't have a clue how many of them there are locally.


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## Eddy Edson (Dec 14, 2020)

And from PHE: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/phe-investigating-a-novel-strain-of-covid-19

_High numbers of cases of the variant virus have been observed in some areas where there is also a high incidence of COVID-19. It is not yet known whether the variant is responsible for these increased numbers of cases. PHE will monitor the impact of this in the coming days and weeks._


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## Ljc (Dec 15, 2020)

Apparently we have the variant here.  
I hope these vaccines are effective against it.


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## Eddy Edson (Dec 15, 2020)

As in Bruce's post above, an excellent person to follow for this stuff is 



__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1338792628570173440
Maybe a little bit interesting: her chart shows this "new" S:N501 strain starting to climb in Oz from mid-Nov. The most notable thing about that timing is that it aligns with the little outbreak in SA, the only significant recent event. At the time, health authorities here talked of a "new strain" with much faster transmission than they'd seen before - the main outbreak was in a big multi-generation family lviing together, infected 90%+ of them within a couple days; and a couple of other people seemed to have caught it from very brief casual contacts.

They were ridiculed for the "new sneaky strain" claims by many experts, just like Hancock is being ridiculed now, but wh knows ...


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## mikeyB (Dec 17, 2020)

It doesn’t really matter if this new variant is easier to catch. What matters is whether the death rate increases, not just the case rate. And if the tests for Covid 19 register this new variant, then the vaccines are quite likely to work.

I suspect that this virus will keep changing till it becomes like all the other coronaviruses that give us colds, then we can all stop worrying and and start sneezing.


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## Bruce Stephens (Dec 17, 2020)

mikeyB said:


> I suspect that this virus will keep changing till it becomes like all the other coronaviruses that give us colds, then we can all stop worrying and and start sneezing.


As I understand it that's what we expect for very dangerous viruses (and parasites): there's strong selection pressure against killing your hosts.

I don't think there's such pressure on this virus (it's spreading just fine while killing about 1% of those it infects), so we'd have to hope that becoming easier to spread also happens to cause it to be less dangerous.


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## mikeydt1 (Dec 22, 2020)

well thanks to the dam gov and those working for it blabbing out loud we can now thank them for the country been virtually blocked by other countries.  seem strange that when this first started from China nobody shut them out.

they knew about this variant 3 months ago and only now blabbed big time and look at the result.


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## Docb (Dec 22, 2020)

It has become more and more blatantly obvious that the government front benches are addressing only one audience and that is their back benches.  As far as they are concerned, the broader implications of some of the guff they come out with is just collateral damage in their quest for survival.


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## mikeyB (Dec 22, 2020)

The “spike” is common to coronaviruses, it’s the way they push their RNA into cells. The vaccines are targeting the spike, and I doubt that any gene variation will affect the spike. No spike, no infection.


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## Inamuddle (Dec 22, 2020)

mikeyB said:


> It doesn’t really matter if this new variant is easier to catch. What matters is whether the death rate increases, not just the case rate. And if the tests for Covid 19 register this new variant, then the vaccines are quite likely to work.
> 
> I suspect that this virus will keep changing till it becomes like all the other coronaviruses that give us colds, then we can all stop worrying and and start sneezing.


I am not sure that i agree. It is not just the death rate. For one treatment has improved. So in truth more people catching the virus increases the numbers in hospitals. There are just not the staff in hospitals to cope. Plus staff in hospitals are still catching the virus and that means they are struggling.


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## nonethewiser (Dec 22, 2020)

Guess whole country will be in tier 4 after new year, beast needs controlled & cant get vaccine out fast enough.


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## Docb (Dec 23, 2020)

Suggest you look up the Covid select comittee that met this morning and took evidence from various people working on the virus. Then ask yourself whether the hype about the "new variant" is justified.


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## grovesy (Dec 23, 2020)

Docb said:


> Suggest you look up the Covid select comittee that met this morning and took evidence from various people working on the virus. Then ask yourself whether the hype about the "new variant" is justified.


I agree I was suprised they were sitting live today, I just happened to channel hop. Very intresting.


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## Docb (Dec 23, 2020)

Glad somebody else saw it.  I got the impression that none of the witnesses wanted to endorse the idea that the current upswing in infections was due to the new varient.  The data, as yet, did not show that.  I was particularly taken by the idea that anybody testing positive is likely to have all the strains present - if you bothered to look.


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## mikeydt1 (Dec 24, 2020)

if it isn't bad enough blabbing it out loud leaving the whole country in a mess they then leak about the African one will these people never learn and the damage it is doing to the country doesn't stand looking at.


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## grovesy (Jan 10, 2021)

Anitram said:


> Japan has apparently quarantined 4 travellers from Brazil who tested positive on arrival and the virus involved is a new mutation not seen before. Expect to hear more about a Brazil variant.


Well the USA think they may have identified a new one that has not been seen before, but need to do more work before they are sure!


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## everydayupsanddowns (Jan 11, 2021)

Anitram said:


> Japan has apparently quarantined 4 travellers from Brazil who tested positive on arrival and the virus involved is a new mutation not seen before. Expect to hear more about a Brazil variant.





grovesy said:


> Well the USA think they may have identified a new one that has not been seen before, but need to do more work before they are sure!



Good grief! all these new variants (with their various different properties) are really putting a dent in my optimism that this year is going to be any different to last in terms of lurching from one restriction to another


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## grovesy (Jan 11, 2021)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> Good grief! all these new variants (with their various different properties) are really putting a dent in my optimism that this year is going to be any different to last in terms of lurching from one restriction to another


I was also suprised that the USA have not been doing a lot of Genomic testing , either ! I saw another report the made me pleasantly suprised the South African's have been working around the clock testing their variatant and if the vaccines are effective against it.


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## Ljc (Jan 11, 2021)

From reports I have seen, we have the South African variant here in Kent .
Our hospitals here are only  just about coping.

I have no idea when my 95 yr old dad will be vaccinated ,he is poorly and now housebound.


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## mikeydt1 (Jan 11, 2021)

found out recent that  my remaining uncles are over 80 with one near 90 and they are worried by the isolation having an impact.  the over nearly 90 wasn't so well.

the trouble is i am just too far to be of any use to them apart from FB for support.

not heard if the variant is around these parts and no reports that the hospital isn't coping any different.  i am up there in a few weeks which does worry me though.


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## grovesy (Jan 11, 2021)

Ljc said:


> From reports I have seen, we have the South African variant here in Kent .
> Our hospitals here are only  just about coping.
> 
> I have no idea when my 95 yr old dad will be vaccinated ,he is poorly and now housebound.


Vaccination seems to be very patchy still.


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## Ljc (Jan 11, 2021)

grovesy said:


> Vaccination seems to be very patchy still.


Our Gp practice started doing the vaccs a few weeks ago ,but they had no info re those housebound.


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## Ljc (Jan 11, 2021)

mikeydt1 said:


> found out recent that  my remaining uncles are over 80 with one near 90 and they are worried by the isolation having an impact.  the over nearly 90 wasn't so well.
> 
> the trouble is i am just too far to be of any use to them apart from FB for support.
> 
> not heard if the variant is around these parts and no reports that the hospital isn't coping any different.  i am up there in a few weeks which does worry me though.


I know it’s hard isn’t it. I phone one of dads cousins two or three times a week , she is in her 70s   Shielded with several health problems but hates being indoors so much if the time


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## Robin (Jan 11, 2021)

Ljc said:


> Our Gp practice started doing the vaccs a few weeks ago ,but they had no info re those housebound.


Ours has just said the housebound will be done 'later' . I assume this means when they get the Oxford vaccine. At the moment, all the over 85s have to be ferried next Saturday, on possibly icy country roads, to a town 12 miles away which our GP practice is grouped with under the title 'rural West Oxfordshire' to have the Pfizer jab. Then the same with the over 80s possibly the Saturday after.


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