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People previously infected with Covid 'probably immune from new UK variant'

Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance attends a news conference in response to the ongoing situation with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, inside 10 Downing Street, London, Britain, January 5, 2021. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/Pool - Hannah McKay/REUTERS
Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance attends a news conference in response to the ongoing situation with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, inside 10 Downing Street, London, Britain, January 5, 2021. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/Pool - Hannah McKay/REUTERS
Coronavirus Article Bar with counter
Coronavirus Article Bar with counter

People who have been infected by coronavirus are probably immune from the new UK variant, the Government's chief scientific officer has said.

The variant, which emerged in Kent in September, is thought to be between 50 and 74 per cent more infectious than the strain that was dominant last year and is likely to be behind the recent upswing in cases.

Scientists had feared that changes to the virus would make it harder for the immune systems of those who had already been infected to fight back, and could stop a vaccine working effectively.

Watch: What is the new Covid variant?

However, speaking at a Downing Street press conference, Sir Patrick Vallance said it appeared that people still had protection if they had already been infected with the virus.

"What we know is that the 22 changes in the genetic code made the virus more transmissible, but as far as we can see it doesn't make it hidden from the immune system so if you had an infection before, the evidence is that you probably neutralise this virus as well," he said. "The expectation is the same for the vaccine."

New Covid variant timeline
New Covid variant timeline

However, Sir Patrick warned that the South African variant, which was found in Britain in December, may be less easy for the immune system to spot and clear away.

That variant has three mutations in important genes. One, the N501Y mutation, has already been found in the UK variant and could be responsible for it being so infectious.

However, the South African version carries two more mutations, E484K and K417N, that are absent in the British version and make it far more worrying. It quickly became the dominant variant in the Eastern and Western Cape provinces of South Africa.

"With the South African variant, there's another change which is theoretically a bit more substantial in terms of the shape of the viral protein which, theoretically, gives it a bit more risk of it not being recognised," said Sir Patrick.

"It's worth remembering that when, when a vaccine is given, you don't just make one antibody against one bit, you make lots of antibodies against lots of different bits. And so it's unlikely that all of that could be escaped by any mutation it's more likely that if there's an effect, it's a sort of minor effect."

Watch: What you can and can't do during England's third national lockdown