How to safeguard yourself from the mutated COVID strain

This weekend it was disclosed that a new variant of the coronavirus had been detected in the UK, and it appears to be far more infectious than the virus we are currently fighting in the US. Health experts think that this mutation is the reason for the recent increase in COVID-19 cases in southern England. On December 19, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the news during a press conference and announced new restrictions, including a total shutdown in London and the South West of England. "It appears that the differential is now being driven by the new variant," explained Johnson. "It seems to be transmitted much more easily."

1. This is not the first time

"The coronavirus has had many variations since last March," he explains. "Most of the mutations have not affected the virus or its spread."

2. 'There is a spike protein mutation.'

Darren Mareiniss, MD, Assistant Professor, emergency medicine at Sidney Kimmel Medical College - Thomas Jefferson University, says Eat This, Not That! Health that the virus has changed. "There is a spike protein mutation," he further explains.

Experts have said that the new strain VUI - 202012/01 - and as per Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, it is responsible for 60% of new infections in the capital, which have almost doubled in the last week alone.

3: The new variant is significantly more transmissible

As per the UK experts who have made a preliminary calculation, the new coronavirus strain maybe 70% more transmissible. "The most recent mutation involves the viral spike protein and is believed to increase transmission," explains Dr Mareiniss.

4: No proof that the new strain is more dangerous

While the new strain of coronavirus is 70% more transmissible, there is no evidence that it is more dangerous. "It's very important for people to know that viruses mutate all the time. And that doesn't mean this virus is more dangerous," US Surgeon General Jerome Adams explained on Face the Nation on Sunday. "We don't even know if it's really more contagious yet or not, or if it just happened to be a strain that was involved in a super spreader event right now, we have no indications that it is going to hurt our ability to continue vaccinating people or that it is any more dangerous or deadly than the strains that are currently out there."

5: Not sure how the efficacy of the vaccine will be affected

While Dr Mareiness confirms that "some previous mutations have increased the infectivity" of the vaccine, he does not want to speculate on how this specific variant will affect the efficacy of the vaccine. Over the weekend, medical experts tried to reassure the public that it is unlikely to do so, as the mutation was likely too subtle to affect efficacy. And at worst, similar to the flu vaccine, it could be modified to keep up with mutations.

Scientists in the US at the Walter Reed Army Research Institute are currently investigating it and may have an answer later this week.

6: Countries around the World are taking precautionary measures

As of Sunday, several countries in Europe, including Italy, Ireland, Germany, France and the Netherlands, the Middle East and the Americas, had restricted travel to the UK due to the new strain. France even chose to close its borders to UK travellers, closing the UK-France Channel Tunnel.

7: How to safeguard yourself from the mutated COVID strain

Dr Adams, during his appearance on Face the Nation, disclosed that the best way to protect yourself from the new strain is to follow the suggested protocol. "The most relevant point is that it doesn't change anything we've been telling you," Dr Adams pointed out. "It just further reinforces the fact that we need to wash our hands, wear our mask lots, keep your distances, keep our household gathering small because if this is a mutation that is more contagious, then that just means that we need to be that much more vigilant while we wait to get vaccinated." And to protect your life and the lives of others, don't visit any of these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID.