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Alarming statistics: New variant in UK, overcrowded hospitals
POLITICS
20.10.2021 | 20:42
Scientists in Britain are monitoring a new version of the Delta variant, called Delta Plus, that has begun to spread in England and could be slightly more contagious.
The new variation, officially designated as AY. 4.2, accounted for 6 per cent of all COVID-19 cases that were genetically sequenced during the week of Sept. 27, according to a recent report from the U.K. Health Security Agency. The agency added that the mutation was “on an increasing trajectory.”
The virus that causes COVID-19 has mutated thousands of times since the pandemic began and most versions have either petered out or had little impact. The AY. 4.2 mutation was first detected in Britain in July and it has been growing slowly. Scientists have yet to designate it a “variant under investigation” or a “variant of concern,” which is an indication of the level of risk. If it is elevated to a “variant under investigation,” which is widely expected, the World Health Organization will assign it a Greek letter under its naming system.
Delta was classified as a variant of concern last May in Britain after it began to overtake the Alpha variant, which emerged in late 2020.
