Lesson For Singapore: Clusters of the Indian Covid-19 Varients Spread Across UK

The latest British update on the Indian variants has revealed that officials from Public Health England are seriously concerned on three new variants.

Scientists have been assessing three closely related variants first detected in India and since found in the UK because they have mutations that help the virus to evade the body’s immune responses and be more transmissible due to their spike protein mutations.

All three of the variants – known as B16171, B16172 and B16173 – have been under investigation in the UK.

According to internal documents, the assessment of the ongoing risk to public health from B16172 is “high”.

One of the India variants – B16172 – has been upgraded to a "Variant of Concern" for broader communications.

48 clusters of the Indian Variant B16172 have been identified, including those linked to secondary schools and religious gatherings, with evidence of community transmissions.

Dr Deepti Gurdasani, a clinical epidemiologist and senior lecturer at Queen Mary University of London, said the variant was “increasing very rapidly” and that “at the current doubling rate it could easily become dominant by the end of May or early June”.

15 cases of B16172 Variant were found in one London Care Home where residents had their second doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine in the week prior to the outbreak. Some were hospitalised.

It comes as public health officials revealed that the B16172 has been found in Northern Ireland for the first time, with seven confirmed cases.

“While preventive measures – including travel restrictions – are very important, the assessment is that these will delay rather than permanently prevent the spread of variants already detected elsewhere on these islands,” said the Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland, Dr Michael McBride.

“The most effective way to stop variants developing or spreading is to keep pushing down infection rates and transmission of the virus in our community,” he added.

Cases of the India variants have risen dramatically in recent weeks in the UK. The main cause of the rise is probably the B16172 Variant from India.

Prof Ravi Gupta of the University of Cambridge, who researches variant mutations, said he believed all the India variants should be designated Variants of Concern “given we can’t afford to be wrong”.

Prof Christina Pagel, the Director, Clinical Operational Research Unit, at University College London, said:

“Clearly this variant has escaped into the community and is spreading quickly. It highlights the fundamental weakness of the Red List Travel System in that we just don’t know where the next dangerous variant is coming from. This should prompt a complete overhaul of our travel policy for the summer.”

SSO