UK Scientists Voice Concern Over Prevalence Of S.African COVID-19 Strain In South London

UK scientist voiced their concern on Wednesday over clusters of cases of the South African COVID-19 strain identified in south London, and urged people to be more careful as lockdown restrictions continue to ease in England and other parts of the United Kingdom

LONDON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th April, 2021) UK scientist voiced their concern on Wednesday over clusters of cases of the South African COVID-19 strain identified in south London, and urged people to be more careful as lockdown restrictions continue to ease in England and other parts of the United Kingdom.

"We know from studies that none of the vaccines are as effective against the South African variant - though the vaccines still prevent against severe disease and death even with the South African variant," Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation deputy chairman Anthony Harnden told ITV's Good Morning Britain show.

On Monday, the Department of Health and Social Care confirmed that a "significant" cluster of the South African COVID-19 variant has been discovered in the boroughs of Wandsworth and Lambeth, where at least 74 cases of the mutation have been identified.

Health authorities immediately launched a large surge testing operation, urging anyone aged 11 or over who lives, works or travels through the areas to take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test as soon as possible.

The news broke out on the same day outdoors bars and restaurants, hairdressers, beauty salons and other close-contact services were allowed to reopen as part of the easing of lockdown restrictions in England.

"We've all been desperate for our freedoms, and it has been great this week when we can get out to the pub gardens and enjoy the outside space, but we must not go wild," Harnden said.

Peter Openshaw, a member of the COVID-19 clinical information network advising the government, also said that his fellow scientists are very concerned about the presence of the South African strain in south London and the possibility that it might spread even farther with the easing of the lockdown restrictions.

"If we get rapid spread of the South African or other more resistant variants, it may well be that we are going to have to put the reductions of lockdown into reverse," Openshaw told the BBC.

On Tuesday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned the country to prepare for more COVID-19 infections and deaths as it reopens its economy, adding that the current drop in positive cases, hospitalizations and deaths was largely due to the lockdown, not the vaccination campaign.