Science, Politics

December 21, 2020

UK reports new strain of Covid-19

Source: Unsplash (CDC) 
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The Gist

The new strain dubbed "VUI – 202012/01" is presumed to be 70% more transmissible than Covid-19. 

The List

  • The new strain has been known to health authorities since September, though it only recently began to spread uncontrollably. 
  • Many areas of the United Kingdom have gone into strict lockdown in an attempt to thwart the spread of the new virus.
  • Multiple European countries have already blocked travel to and from the United Kingdom, with many others expected to block travel in the coming days. 
  • It is common for viruses to mutate and thousands of unique strains of Covid-19 have been detected around the world since the start of the pandemic. 
  • This strain is raising alarms as it is substantially more transmissible. 
  • Health officials are unsure as to whether the vaccines currently being rolled out around the world will be effective in fighting this new strain. 

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