Covid variants have become a major concern around the world this year as several have cropped up in different countries. Brazil, South Africa and the UK have all reported different local versions of the base virus, which showed up in Wuhan last year. They have improved infectivity and, in some cases, higher mortality rates.
How many Covid variants are there from the UK?
The UK is one of three countries to have discovered a local variant.
These are offshoots of the virus that have been given a mutation called E484K, which is of concern to the scientific community.
Variants are inevitable, especially during pandemics, as these provide them with different environments in which to adapt and evolve.
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Sharon Peacock, director of the consortium, testified to the effectiveness of her organization.
She said most countries without an operational program would have difficulty identifying variants at all.
Professor Peacock said, “If you’re going to find something somewhere, you’ll probably find it here first.
“And if [a variant] occurs in places where there is no order, you will not find it at all. “