New mutation of Delta variant being monitored in Britain

LONDON/JERUSALEM • A subvariant of the Delta coronavirus variant that is spreading in England is being monitored but is not likely to change the Covid-19 picture, Oxford Vaccine Group chief Andrew Pollard said yesterday.

The subvariant, designated as AY.4.2 in Britain, is growing and accounted for about 6 per cent of all sequences generated, Britain's 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 the new variant is going to be the next one to replace Delta," Professor 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."

Prof Pollard said the risk is mainly in the unvaccinated.

"(Boosters) may have some at least initial downward pressure on the transmission that we're seeing at the moment," he told BBC radio. "But... the biggest issue for intensive care is not the highly vaccinated individuals; it remains the unvaccinated."

Similarly, University College London's professor of computational systems biology Francois Balloux said the subvariant is rare and does not appear to pose the same risk of significantly increased transmission as other strains.

Britain has said it is monitoring the subvariant, which has been seen in a growing number of cases. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said the government is keeping a close eye on the AY.4.2 variant but said there is no evidence that it spreads more easily.

"As you would expect, we are monitoring it closely and won't hesitate to take action if necessary," the spokesman said.

Over in Israel, the Health Ministry has confirmed a case of Delta Plus. "The variant AY.4.2 that has been discovered in a number of countries in Europe has been identified in Israel," a ministry statement said late on Tuesday.

An 11-year-old boy arriving from Europe was the carrier, the ministry said, adding that the case was identified at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv. The boy was quarantined and no further contacts have been discovered, the ministry said.

The variant was discovered as Israel considers loosening restrictions on tourism following a drop in cases. An earlier plan to reopen the borders foundered amid a rise in cases driven by the Delta strain.

The authorities had launched an aggressive campaign to vaccinate citizens with a third, booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which drove down infections.

As at yesterday, Israel has recorded a cumulative total of 1,319,001 Covid-19 cases, with a total of 8,021 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Meanwhile, Britain's hospitals are close to being overwhelmed by a new wave of Covid-19 cases, so tougher restrictions are needed, the National Health Service's (NHS) lobby group said yesterday, but the government said now is not the time for a new lockdown.

Mr Johnson has lifted almost all Covid-19 restrictions in England and ended social distancing measures, as Britain has been successful in its vaccination roll-out.

But doctors have expressed concern that a rise in the number of people going into hospital, combined with pressures on the NHS from seasonal viruses, could leave hospitals unable to deal with long waiting lists and function normally.

As at yesterday, Britain has recorded a cumulative total of 8,581,278 Covid-19 cases, with a total of 139,265 deaths, based on data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE