11-01-2021 | 12:33 PM
UK’s new strain of COVID-19
• India and several other countries have suspended their flights from the United Kingdom due to the concerns about the new variant of COVID-19 that is spreading rapidly in the country.
• A mutant of COVID-19 has been the reason for the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases in East and South England. The new variety is being referred to as Variant Under Investigation (VUI).
• The new variant is the result of multiple mutations in the spike protein of COVID-19. According to the preliminary analysis, the mutant is more transmissible than the previously circulating variant.
• The COG-UK had identified these mutations as “N501Y”. It is an area of spike protein where the virus binds to the human cell.
