Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- For the first time, the head of the Ministry of Health of Great Britain M. Hancock announced the detection of a new strain of coronavirus on 14 December, according to TASS. He linked the mutation of the virus to the rapid spread of the disease in the south-east of England.

As Sky News reports, on 19 December at an emergency press conference, Prime Minister B. Johnson noted that according to preliminary data, VUI-202012/01 could be 70% more infectious. The Prime Minister also pointed to the lack of evidence that the mutation leads to more mortality.

In turn, the Public Health Service of England said that the mutated version of the coronavirus was detected in the UK in September, but began to spread widely from mid-November.

It is emphasized that it was the new SARS-CoV-2 strain that caused a sharp increase in the incidence in the country after the national quarantine was canceled on 2 December. According to the latest government data, the number of infections detected in the country has increased by 51% over the past seven days compared to the previous seven-day period.

In London, already in November, about 25% of all infections were associated with this variant of the coronavirus; by mid-December, they had become more than 65%, which forced the authorities to impose strict restrictions.

The new genetic type SARS-CoV-2 "scared" the residents of the British capital, caused serious concern throughout Europe and other parts of the world, as well as a tangible impact on the stock markets, manifested in the decline in oil prices (by 5%).

According to the newspaper The Daily Mail, in London and the southeast of England, the authorities have introduced the fourth (maximum) level of threat of the spread of infection. Stores that do not sell essential items, hairdressers and gyms have been suspended.

In addition, restaurants, pubs and cafes remain closed. The introduced quarantine affects 20 million people.

After the authorities announced new restrictions on Saturday night, Londoners began to leave the city in droves. According to the newspaper, crowds of people trying to get out of the capital, before the new measures came into force on 20 December, were seen at major city stations.

The Guardian points out that outside the UK, a new SARS-CoV-2 strain has already been identified in Denmark (9 cases), the Netherlands, Australia and Italy (1 case each). They were all imported from the United Kingdom.

Scientists from South Africa also announced the discovery of a mutated version of SARS-CoV-2 in the country, but later it became known that it did not coincide with the British type of coronavirus.

As reported by AFP, WHO called on European countries to strengthen restrictive measures in connection with the spread of a new strain of coronavirus, saying that the transmission of the virus is intense and widespread. This was followed by a quick reaction from the governments of European states.

According to Euronews, European countries have built a cordon sanitaire around Great Britain. Almost all states on the continent have already interrupted transport links with the United Kingdom. Dozens of other countries from different parts of the world have suspended flights to London.

The BBC notes that in the near future the EU countries will discuss joint steps in connection with the emergence of a new variant of the coronavirus in the United Kingdom.

In this context, the French TV channel BFM reports that France is seeking a coordinated decision by the EU countries regarding the termination of air and rail links with the UK.

According to the newspaper Bild, at this meeting, German Chancellor Angela Merkel intends to seek the closure of the EU borders for the British.

According to the newspaper, the German government is trying to achieve a ban from December 21 to January 6. The question remains open whether to allow entry into the EU by sea and through the Channel Tunnel.

The BBC quotes the words of the senior scientific adviser to the British government P. Wallance, who said that the new variant of the virus contains an unusually large number of mutations. According to him, 23 changes in the genome have already been found, many of which are associated with changes in the spike protein produced by the virus.

There is no reliable information about whether the new variant of the virus originated in the UK or was imported from outside.

Many British experts are inclined to believe that it probably originated in a patient with a weakened immune system who was unable to overcome this virus. Instead, this person’s body has become a kind of favorable environment for the coronavirus to mutate.

Against this background, the director of the department of pandemics and epidemics of the WHO, S. Briand, in an interview with the French television channel BFM, said that there is nothing surprising in the modification of viruses. However, in order to find out exactly whether the effect of the virus on humans is changing, additional laboratory tests are needed. Answering the question about the possible weakening of the vaccine impact by the new coronavirus strain, she also noted that "the virus is unlikely to have an impact on the vaccine effect."

WHO said it was in close contact with the UK authorities on this issue and promised to inform the public about its characteristics and any consequences when they learn more about the virus.

In turn, the Public Health Service of England said that the vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech, which is already used in the kingdom, will be able to protect against a new variant of the coronavirus.

RIA Novosti reports that the head of the Italian Ministry of Health, G. Rezza, emphasized that the new type of coronavirus that appeared in the UK is likely to react similarly to the vaccine as the "regular" version of the virus. He noted that while there are hypotheses that these mutations may increase the tolerance of the virus, "they do not appear to alter its clinical aggressiveness or its response to the vaccine."

The German TV channel NDR notes that the head of the virology department of the prestigious Berlin Charite Hospital Kr. Drosten is of the same opinion. The expert does not see the threat of reducing the effect of the vaccine in the mutated version of SARS-CoV-2.