New COVID Variant in South-East

[umpteennamechanges]

Just seen the breaking news about the new COVID variant in the South East.

Seems to be nothing to worry about on the face of it...but wondering if anyone has / knows of any more info?

They have said this it is highly unlikely that the vaccines won’t work. That pretty much rules out it being the mink covid which has mutations on the spike protein targeted by the vaccines.

It is irresponsible to just throw statements like that out there with no factual basis whatsoever.

Agreed.

If we look at the European response when a new variant was identified in mink - and compare it to our own response now - we're simply not responsive enough, quickly enough.

Are you suggesting culling the entire population of Kent?

@treening

It is irresponsible to just throw statements like that out there with no factual basis whatsoever.

Agreed.

Ditto

@IcedPurple

If we look at the European response when a new variant was identified in mink - and compare it to our own response now - we're simply not responsive enough, quickly enough.

Are you suggesting culling the entire population of Kent?

Iced ha

What I don't get is they've split Essex up into different tiers but the whole of West Yorkshire is in tier 3 despite there being significant regional variations within the county. It's just not far.

More scaremongering from the government. They know that by announcing a new strain of the virus is only going to scare the majority of the UK population so why not do more research into it and then give us the info from fully trained, qualified medical people and not from people on the internet who “ think” they know it all

I do recall the government saying covid was nothing to worry about back in March. Can see a pattern forming here.

@IcedPurple

If we look at the European response when a new variant was identified in mink - and compare it to our own response now - we're simply not responsive enough, quickly enough.

Are you suggesting culling the entire population of Kent?

Yes, and not before time.

No, of course not

[quote user1498572889]@stepawayfromthekeyboard
I think they are only relaxing the rules at Christmas because they know people won’t take any notice anyway. 😔. I don’t know how bad this has to get before some people realise it’s down to everyone to do their bit. Mind you I am of the opinion they should have stopped all travel abroad right at the beginning. I work in a shop and so many people think it’s ok to come in without a mask and stand next to me. Hence my COVID test today.[/quote]
Yes - I agree, plus another pp cyclingmad said similar. The new variants typically come into the country from abroad - there was a new variant from Spain brought into the country from holidaymakers over the summer that led to an increase in numbers, plus the potential for things like the mink variant to spread more easy with foreign travel - and actually the mink variant was not just Denmark, it was also reported in several other countries, e.g. USA and Spain (I guess either because all mink can caught covid-19 or because the mink are being transported between countries?).
Just stop the non-essential foreign travel while the vaccine is being widely rolled out and limit the entry of new variants into the country.
And yes to a pp who pointed out how many other countries around the world are essentially living normal lives, just wearing masks, because their countries have taken a tough line about international borders (not just NZ and Aus, but Asian countries with many land borders and busy tourist/transport destinations in normal times).

I do recall the government saying covid was nothing to worry about back in March. Can see a pattern forming here.

But the scientists were saying the complete opposite and they're the ones we should be listening to.

The mink strain was referred to as "cluster 5"

The link to the professor on Twitter posted early on this thread refers to this strain as something else, so it doesn't look as though it's the same one

@Chloemol

So there is another strain. But it’s still spread the same way, so this is just smoke and mirrors, the fact is people are not following the rules, so it doesn’t matter what the strain is, and it’s still soreading through schools

Isn't it more likely that 2m is not socially distanced enough and most spaces cannot manage 2m cause everything is so pokey in the UK. So there is not such thing as socially distanced.

Kids are not socially distancing because they cannot socially distance in a classroom, a classroom that can't hold 31 children. That originally masks would ot be useful (though I've been seeing Asian tourists using them for decades, so there must be some evidence that they work). Only to be told later. We live on an island that didn't close it's borders until, (well did they ever or were we advised not to travel?)

Don't mix with anyone from other households but sit next to other households in a restaurant for the good of the economy.

Could go on but bored.
People may very well not be following the rules, but the rules never made sense anyway.

I'm not blaming people who have to work in cities for the rise in cases, I will not blame children for the rise in cases. It is what it is and we just need to get on with it.

The WHO are monitoring this new variant and have said that thus far there is no cause for alarm. So it's not about trusting what Matt Hancock has to say.

@treening

I do recall the government saying covid was nothing to worry about back in March. Can see a pattern forming here.

But the scientists were saying the complete opposite and they're the ones we should be listening to.

Yes, and the scientists like Witty, Valance and Van Tam are only allowed to speak publicly when the government allow it (and it's in the government's interest). Would be interested to hear from independent SAGE.

Agree on how convenient the timing of this update is. A handy excuse as to why the exponential growth despite coming out of a 4 week lockdown. Shouldn't he have addressed the fact that 11-18 year olds are the highest group testing positive and schools remained face to face. About time they admitted this is a major problem as this is just going to go on and on. Restaurants and hospitality is not driving up these infections.

@IcedPurple

The WHO are monitoring this new variant and have said that thus far there is no cause for alarm. So it's not about trusting what Matt Hancock has to say.

Yes, the WHO are more reliable, but were very slow to call Covid-19 a pandemic, leading to many countries not closing their borders soon enough (or at all in our case). Their track record has been to downplay rather than cause panic.

@treening

No scientists on twitter seem to be bothered about this at all so I will not be panicking for the moment.

Totally agree with you about not panicking.

But wanted to point out that a lot of scientists don’t use Twitter except for the driest of dry tweets: because the shit they get sent behind the scenes is quite an eye-opener (the public are batshit and everyone’s got a hot take). So Twitter isn’t the place to look for up to the minute science, necessarily.

From Professor Balloux.

And more.

@IcedPurple

The WHO are monitoring this new variant and have said that thus far there is no cause for alarm. So it's not about trusting what Matt Hancock has to say.

The same WHO who said "nothing to see here"... "it's not a pandemic"..."we no longer use the word pandemic"..."China's got this covered"...oh ok fine it's a pandemic".

@treening

And more.

Thanks Treening

treening that screenshot is reassuring, not keen on the 'super-apocalyptic' phraseology though!

That's just his manner, I used to work with him many years back!

Oh that is interesting. Is he being humorous?