What to expect from vaccines and the covid-19 variant?
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(CNN) -
The United Kingdom has detected a new variation of covid-19 that, according to England's medical director, is more contagious than previous variants.
US Army Scientists Test New Coronavirus Variant for Vaccine Resistance
Professor Chris Whitty says "urgent work" is underway to rule out whether the new strain, prevalent in south-east England, could cause a higher death rate.
"There is no current evidence to suggest that the new strain causes a higher mortality rate or affects vaccines and treatments, although urgent work is being done to confirm this," he said in a statement.
No evidence that the new coronavirus variant is more deadly or resistant to the vaccine, says public health expert
What we know
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the new variant could be up to 70% more transmissible than the previous variant, although there is still "considerable uncertainty".
Where it has been detected
The World Health Organization (WHO) says the new variant has also been identified in Denmark, the Netherlands, and Australia.
WHO: new variant of covid-19 from England has been identified in Denmark, the Netherlands and Australia
Australia said on Monday it had detected two cases of the new variant in Australian quarantine facilities.
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What are other countries doing in response
These are the countries of America and the world that have so far suspended trips from the United Kingdom due to a new variant of covid-19
More than a dozen countries have banned travel from the UK in response to the new variant.
These countries include the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.
United Kingdom: fewer flights per variant of covid-19 2:10
Other countries have imposed other restrictions, such as the Czech Republic, which imposed a mandatory 10-day quarantine on anyone arriving from the UK.
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