UK Variant of COVID-19 Will ‘Sweep the World’, Says Scientist

London, February 11 :The Covid-19 variant, which was first detected in the UK's Kent last year, is set to become the dominant strain and is going to sweep the world, the head of the UK's genetic surveillance programme said. "The new variant has 'swept the country' and 'it's going to sweep the world, in all probability'," Sharon Peacock, Director of Covid-19 Genomics UK (Cog-UK) told the BBC.

"Once we get on top of it or it mutates itself out of being virulent -- causing disease -- then we can stop worrying about it. But I think, looking in the future, we're going to be doing this for years. We're still going to be doing this 10 years down the line, in my view," Peacock added. New COVID-19 Strain: Nine More UK Returnees to Telangana Test Positive for Coronavirus.

Peacock also said vaccines approved for use in the UK appeared to work well against the existing variants of the virus in the country, the BBC reported on Thursday.

This week, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that the Covid-19 variant, known as B.1.1.7, has been reported in 86 countries. New Coronavirus Strain: India First in World to Successfully Culture and Isolate 'UK Variant' of COVID-19-Causing SARS-CoV-2 Virus.

In its weekly epidemiological update, WHO says the variant B.1.1.7 has shown an increase in transmissibility, and some evidence of an increase in disease severity based on preliminary findings.

As of February 7, an additional six countries have reported cases of this variant. A new study also suggested the UK variant is spreading rapidly across the US, raising concerns over another resurgence in the hardest-hit country.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 12, 2021 12:32 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).