UK: New Delta strain mutation worries experts | Israel today

Experts in the UK are following with concern a large increase in cases of the corona virus delta variant mutation, the country's media reported today.

Although not yet defined as a endangered species or one under surveillance, variant AY.2.4 is now responsible for six per cent of new infection cases in the UK, a steep increase from previous weeks.

The new sub-variant was located in Israel today, when an 11-year-old passenger who arrived from London was diagnosed as infected. 

Prof. Hagai Levin responded to the discovery of the new variant in Israel and said: "We do not yet know whether this variant is more durable or more violent.

We need to follow closely and invest in the epidemiological and molecular monitoring system.

This is our intelligence for early detection of new variants.

The risks exist so it is time to learn lessons and strengthen the infrastructure for the next wave, variant or epidemic.

"A permanent epidemiological unit is required at Ben Gurion Airport. A small investment is a great benefit." 

The British Broadcasting Authority has reported that health services in the country are currently testing to see if the virus is more resistant to vaccines and natural antibodies to the corona virus and at what level.

The new sub-variant has been dubbed "Delta Plus" as experts believe it evolved into the variant that originated in India.

Despite the steep rise in sub-variant infection, experts believe there may be a major outbreak of Delta Plus or that it may be found to be particularly resistant to corona virus vaccines.

The sub-virus was first detected in July and has since spread slowly in several major infection areas.

Meanwhile, in the UK today there was a new increase in coronary heart disease mortality as 226 people died across the country from the disease.

43,738 people have been diagnosed with the virus over the past day, a slight decrease from nearly 50,000 people diagnosed yesterday.

The hospitals in the East Midlands in the north of the capital in London have been under heavy pressure in recent days and there is a growing fear that the flooding of corona wards in hospitals will spread to other centers in the country.

In the British political system, criticism of Boris Johnson's government is growing due to rising morbidity and mortality.

Experts also criticized the Johnson government's decision to lift most of the country's corona restrictions in July.

"Unfortunately, at the moment Britain sees a large rate of morbidity in Corona from other Western countries. It is also a large rate of hospitalizations and mortality. It may have been the government's decision to completely withdraw from the state of emergency," said Jim Neismith, a professor of biology at Oxford University.