Delta Plus sub-variant won't change Covid-19 picture in UK, says Oxford vaccine chief

LONDON (REUTERS) - A subvariant of Delta that is growing in England is being monitored but is not likely to change the Covid-19 picture, Oxford Vaccine Group chief Andrew Pollard said on Wednesday (Oct 20).

The sub-variant known as Delta Plus, designated as AY.4.2 in Britain, is growing and accounted for about 6 per cent of all sequences generated, the UK Health Security Agency said last week, but it has not been labelled as "under investigation" or a "variant of concern".

"Discovery of new variants is, of course, important to monitor, but it doesn't indicate that that new variant is going to be the next one to replace Delta," Dr Pollard told BBC radio.

"Indeed even if it does, Delta is incredibly good at transmitting in a vaccinated population and a new one may be a bit better but it's unlikely to change the picture dramatically from where we are today."

The comments come as the National Health Service is close to the edge of being overwhelmed in many parts of Britain, with pressure only going to increase as winter approaches, the head of a healthcare system body said on Wednesday.

Britain reported 223 deaths from Covid-19 on Tuesday, the highest daily figure since March, and the country's new cases are the highest in Europe.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has lifted almost all Covid-19 restrictions in England, and is keeping measures such as mandatory mask-wearing - common in much of Europe - in reserve only as a "Plan B".

But doctors have expressed concern that an increase in numbers going into hospital, combined with pressures on the NHS from seasonal viruses, could lead to a "perfect storm" which would leave hospitals unable to deal with long waiting lists and function normally.

Mr Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, called for Plan B measures such as mask-wearing and working from home, which would be only minor inconveniences and could avoid the country stumbling into a crisis.

"I talk to health leaders every day, and I have literally not spoken to any leader who doesn't say that their service is under intense pressure now. This is the middle of October. Things are only going to get worse," he told BBC radio.

"The health service is right at the edge... If you push much further, we will not be able to provide the level of service that people need to have."

Mr Johnson's government has said that it is relying on vaccinations, including booster shots for the vulnerable, to avoid lockdowns this winter.

Business minister Kwasi Kwarteng said another lockdown would be wrong and also played down the prospect that more limited measures would be brought in soon.

"Ministers, scientists, experts are looking at data on an hourly basis," he told the BBC.

"And we don't feel that it's the time for Plan B right now.

What we're trying to do is get people who haven't been vaccinated, to get those vaccinations up, increase the uptake of the booster jab."