(CNN) The new Covid-19 variant first detected in the UK may be more lethal than previous strains, according to the country's Prime Minister Boris Johnson. "We've been informed that in addition to spreading more quickly... there is some evidence that the new variant... may be more associated with a higher degree of mortality," Johnson said at a news conference on Friday. "Both the vaccines we're currently using remain effective both against the old variant and this new variant," he added. The UK's chief scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance, elaborated on the evidence. Vallance said patients who were hospitalized with the new variant did not appear to have a higher risk of dying compared to those hospitalized with the original form of the virus.

Source: CNN January 22, 2021 17:13 UTC