New UK variant of Covid may be more deadly: Boris Johnson

TIL Desk/World/London/ Early evidence suggests the variant of coronavirus that emerged in the United Kingdom towards the end of last year may be more deadly, UK’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.

Based on preliminary data briefing by scientists at the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group, Johnson admitted that it would seem the new variant was deadlier but stressed that the two vaccines being administered in the UK — Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca — are effective against all variants.

“In addition to spreading more quickly, it also now appears that there is some evidence that the new variant – the variant that was first identified in London and the south east (of England) — may be associated with a higher degree of mortality,” Johnson said on Friday in his address at a virtual briefing from 10 Downing Street.

“It is largely the impact of this new variant that means the NHS (National Health Service) is under so much intense pressure,” he said. “All current evidence shows both vaccines remain effective against the old and new coronavirus variant,” he said.