“There is also no evidence that [it] causes more severe disease or increased mortality than the UK variant or any variant that has been sequenced around the world,” he added. Around 50 countries have so far banned travel to and from the UK over concerns of the new variant. Mutations are not unusual in viruses but a particular variant, reported first by authorities in the UK on December 14, has 17 changes that scientists say are an unusually high number. The same change has been seen in two variants: one spreading in South Africa and another in UK’s Wales. The origin of the high number of changes in the UK-linked variant, also known as B.1.1.7, is as yet a mystery.

Source: Hindustan Times December 25, 2020 20:58 UTC