[Mr K]

This isn't good news

The South African variant of coronavirus may be resistant to vaccines and more difficult to pick up through testing, scientists have warned, as they called for the immediate closure of borders.

Health Secretary, Matt Hancock said he was "incredibly worried" about the new mutation saying it was "even more of a problem than the UK variant."

The variant was picked up in Britain in December, and there are fears it may spread even more quickly than the Kent mutation which has caused an alarming spike in cases, hospital admissions and deaths.

Jeremy Hunt, the former health secretary, has called for an immediate 12 week lockdown and a closure of Britain’s borders and schools.

He said: “To those arguing winter is always like this in the NHS: you are wrong. I faced four serious winter crises as health secretary and the situation now is off-the-scale worse than any of those.”

The South African variant carries two mutations at key areas of the gene which builds the spike protein – a projecting arm that the virus uses to attach to human cells.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/202...rn-scientists/