Infectious

According to researchers at the British laboratory Porton Down, the new virus strain "VUI 202012/01" can be up to 70 percent more contagious than the old variant.

According to the researchers, however, there is still "significant uncertainty" about how contagious the new virus strain is.

Resistance

According to the UK's chief medical officer Chris Whitty, there is currently no indication that medical treatments or vaccines would work worse on the new virus variant.

Sweden

In Sweden, there are no established cases of the new virus variant according to the random samples made by the Swedish Public Health Agency among virus samples from the regions.

However, it is not excluded that the new variant already exists in Sweden, according to the authority.

Karin Tegmark Wisell, head of department at the Swedish Public Health Agency, points out that so far only a few tests have been performed on tests from November and December.

In Sweden, the dominant virus strain since October is "B.1.177".

It is also the virus variant that was most common in Europe during the autumn.

Occurrence in Europe

In addition to the UK, the new virus variant has also been found in individual cases in Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium, according to the European Center for Infection Control.

Virus mutation

It is normal for viruses to mutate and covid-19 is thought to have mutated thousands of times.

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A new variant of the coronavirus is spreading in the UK.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said this on Saturday and said it was 70 percent more contagious.

Photo: TT, SVT