By EARYEL BOWLEG
Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
WITH a new strain of COVID-19 spreading in parts of England, a Bahamian health official said the public should continue to follow recommended health measures to avoid infection as virus mutations can happen.
According to the BBC, the new COVID-18 variant in the United Kingdom is “spreading more rapidly than the original version, but it is not believed to be more deadly”. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson noted that “it appears to spread more easily and may be up to 70 percent more transmissible than the earlier strain.”
This new strain prompted a wave of new restrictions in parts of England, throwing a wrench in Christmas plans for millions.
Dr Nikkiah Forbes, director of the National HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Programme at the Ministry of Health, sought to temper any anxiety over the news. She told The Tribune that there was no information to suggest a vaccine would not work against this new strain, while urging people to follow recommended health protocols to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.
She said: “Scientists are studying it currently …(at the time) as it was reported there’s no evidence to say that it is more infectious at this time. So it can be postulated that there were changes in the spikes of protein in COVID of the SARS virus. It could become easier for people to get it, but there’s no proof of that.”
She added: “There is no information yet that vaccines won’t work against this new strain. There’s no information to say that for sure. However, we do know that in terms of usual adaptation, viruses can mutate and so that’s why persons should continue to follow public health precautions because there are new strains out there that certainly people can get.”
Dr Forbes said scientists have had reports “over the past few weeks” about the new strain of COVID-19 in the UK.
A number of countries, including Ireland, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, and Israel – have banned travel from the UK as a result of the new strain.
Comments
SP 3 years, 4 months ago
What are the odds of a new 70% more infectious strain of COVID-19 just in time to coincide with the roll-out of vaccines?
This doesn't pass the smell test!
tribanon 3 years, 4 months ago
And right on time for the Christmas Holidays!
GodSpeed 3 years, 4 months ago
Yeah sure! lol... funny the bioweapon vaccines are already useless. Bill Gates said there would be "Pandemic 2" guess they've released it already. Prepare to give up all of your rights to be safe from the jokey virus.
tribanon 3 years, 4 months ago
For the past two decades The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have been partnering with big pharma in the most evil kinds of bio-engineering research activities involving viruses in non-regulated Communist China. Bill Gates's well known preoccupation with population control dates all the way back to his years as a teenager. He's wearing a big smile of accomplishment on his face wherever he appears these days!
GodSpeed 3 years, 4 months ago
Oh yes he's very happy, just watch any news clip and listen the the unelected health overlord talk about how we will have to take multiple vaccines with a demonic grin on his face. Don't see anything he should be smiling about.
joeblow 3 years, 4 months ago
She is starting to remind me of Dr Sands and his love of having his picture in the papers every week. Why didn't she suggest we stop all flights from the UK? At least that would be useful!
tribanon 3 years, 4 months ago
Right you are but this plays right into the goal of the Communist Chinese Party to shutdown global travel in order to severely cripple the economies of the US and its key allies around the world. The very sinister Communist Chinese Party, with the backing and support of their evil Western billionaire friends like Bill Gates, are now engaged in winner take all bio-warfare to control the population of the world at any cost. Expect COVID-21, COVID-27, COVID-33, COVID-39, and on and on and on.....
Dawes 3 years, 4 months ago
There are no flights to the UK. British Airways have said not until February at the earliest. As such she had no need to say stop all flights.
tribanon 3 years, 4 months ago
London-Toronto-Nassau Air Canada
joeblow 3 years, 4 months ago
@Dawes... which suggests that I should not be able to book a flight from the UK to Nassau, right?
Dawes 3 years, 4 months ago
Correct. Of course you can book from UK to another place and then down here, but that doesn't affect the fact there are no flights from the UK.
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