New Covid-19 strain declared as ‘Variant Under Investigation’ - what we know so far

A new Covid-19 variant has been listed as a 'Variant Under Investigation' (Photo: JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)A new Covid-19 variant has been listed as a 'Variant Under Investigation' (Photo: JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
A new Covid-19 variant has been listed as a 'Variant Under Investigation' (Photo: JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

The Government announced that a new variant identified in the UK has been declared a Variant Under Investigation (VUI) by Public Health England (PHE).

The strain was designated a VUI on 4 March, after two cases were found in the South East of England in individuals who had recently travelled to Antigua, which is located in the Caribbean.

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In a statement, the Government said: “The variant contains the spike mutations E484K and N501Y, both usually associated with Variants of Concern (VOC), however it does not feature specific deletions that would lead to designation as a VOC.

“Contact tracing teams have completed thorough investigations to identify and follow up any close contacts and no additional cases have been found to date.”