UK says new Coronavirus strain is spreading

Chris Whitty, the top medical official in England, warned Saturday that a new strain of “Covid-19” has been detected in the United Kingdom, and its danger lies in the fact that it is spreading at a very rapid rate.

“The United Kingdom has discovered a new type of Covid-19 virus, as a result of the rapid spread of the new type, initial data and rapidly increasing infection rates, Whitty said, adding that the new strain could spread even more frequently.

He pointed out that urgent work is being done to ensure that it does not cause a higher death rate.

For his part, a spokesman for the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, said that the latter had held a conference call with his senior ministers today to discuss concerns about a new strain of “Covid-19”.

The government stated, earlier, that the high number of infections may be partly related to a new type of virus more capable of spreading, which prompted it to tighten restrictions in London and other areas of the country.