Experts Insist New Variants Should Not Spread Terror

We have nothing to fear from the latest covid variants because they do not “drift” far enough from the original to evade the current vaccines, leading experts say.

- Lucy Johnston

They spoke out after concern was raised over a new variant found in Bristol last week that is similar to the South African virus and listed as a “variant of concern”.

It was reported that this variant – characterised by key mutations from Kent and South Africa – could spread fast and also get past immunity from vaccines.

It is the latest in a series of variants that have caused alarm for the Government and its Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies.

The Kent variant discovered in September led to a third lockdown being brought in at the end of 2020 and shattered Christmas plans for families across the UK.

But other leading experts dismissed the latest “variant of concern” and insist we should not panic as intensive surge testing for the South African variant is being conducted in several parts of the country.

Speaking in a personal capacity, Professor Robert Dingwall, a member of the Government’s New and Emerging Virus Threats Group – Nervtag – said: “We should not be panicking about these variants.

“The sort of variants we will see are such a small drift from the original virus that they do not change it in a radical way.

“The changes we have seen and we will see are pretty minor modifications of the virus which can be easily matched by the vaccine or tweaks to it.”

He also questioned the need for quarantine hotels which were announced by Secretary of State for Health Matt Hancock as a measure to prevent variants arriving from 33 “red list” countries.