The B.1.1.7 - or UK - variant involved in New Zealand's latest community cases is known to spread more easily than others. Photo / US Centers for Disease ControlWhat do we know about the UK variant involved in the latest Covid-19 community cases? The latest three community cases have all been confirmed as the UK variant, which was first identified late last year. "It is a realistic possibility that the new UK variant increases the risk of death, but there is considerable remaining uncertainty," Ferguson told ITV. And some cases of the South Africa variant have been shown to share the same mutation - called E484K - with the UK variant.

Source: New Zealand Herald February 15, 2021 03:33 UTC