As the world grapples with variants of the new virus, the UK has revealed a shocking surprise. The government announced on Tuesday that it is "closely monitoring" the spread of a new subvariant of COVID-19 amid rising infection numbers in the country. It remains unclear if this subvariant is more transmissible, according to AFP.
#### Delta Variant Offshoot
The subvariant, known as "AY4.2," is an offshoot of the highly contagious Delta variant, which initially emerged in India and caused a spike in pandemic cases in late spring and early summer. A government spokesperson stated, "We are closely monitoring the new variant and will not hesitate to take action if necessary." However, they emphasized that "there is no indication that it is spreading at a higher rate."
#### Rising Cases
This announcement comes as the UK records an increasing number of infections, exceeding 40,000 cases daily, a significantly higher rate than that seen in the rest of Europe. Overall, the UK has reported approximately 139,000 deaths due to the pandemic. Some scientists attribute the deteriorating epidemiological situation, particularly among teenagers and young adults, to low vaccination rates among minors and a waning immunity among older vaccinated individuals, combined with the lifting of preventive measures in England in July.
#### Not the Cause
However, François Balloux, director of the Institute of Genetics at the University of California, believes that the new variant "is not the cause of the recent rise in infections in the UK," adding that its emergence does not represent "a situation similar to the emergence of the Alpha and Delta variants, which were more transmissible (by 50% or more) than all other strains at that time." It is worth noting that the new variant is virtually absent outside the UK, except for three recorded cases in the United States and a few in Denmark, where it has almost disappeared since then. Work is ongoing to test its resistance to vaccines.
