UK: Cases are declining, but the South African strain worries – Telam

Various cases from South Africa are alarming

The percentage of people who test positive for the coronavirus has continued to decline across the UK since late February, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), but British health authorities are concerned about cases of the South African variant that has been discovered in recent days.

According to the Office for National Statistics, as of April 10, one in 500 people contracted the Coronavirus, a number equivalent to the number recorded at the beginning of last September before cases rose again after the first wave of the epidemic.

The picture in most regions is similar and across age groups, although fears of an increase after the reopening of schools, there are no signs of an increase in infections among school-age children.

The Office for National Statistics explains that these numbers do not include the reopening of stores, restaurants and bars. But the authority considered that despite the protection provided by vaccines, cases are still high.

A total of 3,244,439 people have already received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine as of April 15, while more than 8.5 million have already received a second dose.

The new figures show that while a total of 600 people in the United Kingdom were infected with the South African type of Coronavirus. Another 56 cases were reported this week and although the Department of Health (PHE) did not provide a geographic breakdown of where they were specifically, it did say there were 524 cases in England.

The new variable identified for the first time in India, which represents a double mutation, was discovered in the United Kingdom, which could be cause for concern, according to an expert.

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In all, 77 cases of the strain known as B1617 were found across the country, 73 in England and four in Scotland, in the days leading up to April 14, according to figures released by PHE.

Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, said the discovery could be a major concern because the strain has two mutations shared in the same virus, raising concerns that it may be more contagious or resistant to viruses. Vaccines.

On Thursday, the United Kingdom recorded 30 more deaths, nearly half of them on the same day last week, when 53 deaths were reported, bringing the total number of deaths to 127,191.

According to Hunter, this double mutation “can be much more problematic than the South African and Brazilian variants which have only one mutation,” he told the Guardian.

The surrogate is believed to play a role in the spike in the epidemic in India, which reached more than 217,000 new cases on Friday.

On Thursday, the United Kingdom recorded 30 other deaths, nearly half of them on the same day last week, when 53 deaths were reported, bringing the total number of deaths to 127,191.

A total of 3,244,439 people have already received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine as of April 15, while more than 8.5 million have already received a second dose.

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