New British Covid-19 strain ‘appears more transmissible in young people and children,’ says WHO
A World Health Organization Covid-19 expert has warned that the new strain of the virus, prevalent in Britain, appears to be easily transmitted among young people amid fears schools may be prevented from reopening in January.
Dr. David Nabarro, one of six special envoys from the World Health Organization’s effort to tackle Covid-19, told Sky News that people may need to be even more “cautious” as a new variant of the virus sweeps across the UK.
With all these issues, we have to work in terms of risk, and this new variant appears more easily transmissible in young people and children,
The special envoy noted that there has always been virus transmission in schools but this time, there was cause for people to be “substantially more cautious.”
Nabarro’s comments were also backed up by Professor Mark Harris, a virologist at Leeds University.
The virus expert said: “There is a concern that if this really is replicating or growing better in children, then it could have a knock-on effect for the spread of the virus throughout the entire population of the UK.”
A number of people have suggested that schools should start preparing for home schooling in early January amid worries that infection rates may be too high for schools to reopen.
Steve Edmonds, director of advice and guidance at the National Governance Association, said reopening schools in areas with rising cases presents a real “challenge.”
The new strain of Covid-19, which is reportedly up to 70 percent more contagious, is linked to a surge in infections across the UK.
Fears that the strain might spread to the rest of the world has seen countries around the globe close their borders to UK travelers.
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