A senior scientific adviser in the UK government has warned that individuals under the age of 21 may be more susceptible to the Indian variant of COVID-19. Professor Neil Ferguson stated that data shows young people are at a higher risk of contracting the coronavirus variant from India. He explained that it is impossible to ascertain whether this is due to a biological effect of the virus's evolution.
Another scientist discussed the threat posed by the Indian variant, emphasizing that reports of its faster spread among young people should be taken seriously as this indicates the first sign of a problem. Younger individuals are now less likely to be vaccinated, which may explain why they are frequently becoming infected. Professor Ravi Gupta, a microbiologist at the University of Cambridge, who spoke alongside Professor Lockdown at a German press conference, said, "Often if we wait too long to get the right data, it may be too late."
UK government advisers raised alarms about the Indian virus variant last month before it became the dominant strain in the UK, stating it could be up to 50% more transmissible than the Kent variant. However, scientists have since expressed more optimism, believing the true figure is close to half of the initial estimate. Detailed analysis has also shown that vaccines still work against the new strain of the virus, according to the Daily Mail.
