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Nov 27, 2021 · Prime Minister confirms new, temporary measures to respond to emergence of UK cases of the Omicron variant. All international arrivals to take a Day 2 PCR test and self-isolate until they...
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Latest updates on SARS-CoV-2 variants detected in the UK.
UKHSA releases latest data on variant BA.2.86
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published its latest variant technical briefing containing updated analysis of the emergent variant BA.2.86. BA.2.86 continues to transmit within the UK, with sporadic cases identified in most regions. The briefing contains early laboratory data from a number of scientific organisations around the UK, including UKHSA’s own Vaccine Development and Evaluation Centre (VDEC), the University of Oxford, the Glasgow Centre of Virus Research and the Pirbright Institute. This early data indicates that BA.2.86 is no more likely to evade existing antibodies than XBB.1.5, another variant that has been circulating widely in the UK. While the available data remains limited, there is currently no evidence to suggest that BA.2.86 infection is more likely to make people seriously ill than currently-circulating variants, while vaccination is likely to provide continued protection. UKHSA will continue to monitor vaccine effectiveness in the population throughout the winter and will publish updated analysis in due course. Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor, UKHSA said: While this is still very early data and more research is needed before we can be certain, it is encouraging to see an initial indication that BA.2.86 demonstrates similar levels of antibody escape compared to other variants circulating in the UK. The available data is too limited to draw conclusions about the severity of the illness it causes, but there is so far no evidence to suggest that it is more likely to make people seriously ill than other Omicron variants in circulation. The autumn vaccination programme started this month, and this new data shows once again how important it is that the most vulnerable among us are fully vaccinated in order to receive the greatest possible protection. I urge everyone eligible to come forward for their next dose as soon as they are called. The UKHSA technical briefing also includes initial findings of tests performed in the UKHSA laboratory at Porton Down to examine the effectiveness of lateral flow devices (LFDs) in detecting BA.2.86, which found no reduction in sensitivity compared to previous variants. BA.2.86 was first identified in August and, as of 18 September, 137 cases have been sequenced in 15 countries: Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and the US. As of 18 September, there were 54 confirmed cases in the UK, 48 in England and 6 in Scotland. No cases have been identified in Wales or Northern Ireland. Of the 48 cases in England, 30 were identified as part of a care home outbreak investigation in the East of England, while the other 18 were identified through routine genomic surveillance. Of the 48 cases, 10 cases were hospitalised, 2 were tested in an emergency department, and 6 cases have unknown hospitalisation status. There were no known deaths due to COVID-19 among these cases. As we head into the winter months when case rates are expected to rise as people mix more indoors, it remains vital that people continue to follow the latest guidance in order to avoid catching and transmitting COVID-19. The advice remains unchanged; if you have any symptoms of respiratory infection, you should limit your contact with other people as much as possible, especially the elderly and those with existing medical conditions. The autumn vaccination campaign for COVID-19 and flu is under way for those people at higher risk. UKHSA is urging everyone who is offered a vaccination to come forward and take it up as soon as possible.
Friday 14 September 2023
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has released variant technical briefing 54. The full document and underlying data is available on GOV.UK.
UKHSA publishes latest BA.2.86 analysis in new technical briefing
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published SARS-CoV-2 variant surveillance and assessment technical briefing 53. It contains the latest epidemiological and genomic analysis of the emergent BA.2.86 variant. As of 4 September 2023, 34 confirmed cases of BA.2.86 had been identified in England. Of these, 5 were hospitalised and no deaths due to COVID-19 have been reported amongst these cases. Multiple unlinked cases in different regions without reported travel history suggests a degree of community transmission within the UK. However, there is currently not enough data to conclude what the extent of this transmission might be. It is also too early to draw conclusions on the impact the variant may have on the UK population due either to its clinical or immune escape properties. Of the 34 cases in England, 28 cases were from a single outbreak at a care home in Norfolk. Specialists from UKHSA have been working with Norfolk County Council to offer infection control advice and support. Staff and residents of the care home were asked to undergo polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing by local health protection officials when an unusually high number of people became unwell. Positive samples were sent for whole genome sequencing at UKHSA laboratories, where BA.2.86 was confirmed in the majority of samples. Based on the information from this incident, it is too early to draw any conclusions about how BA.2.86 will behave in the wider UK population, but it is an early indicator that it may be sufficiently transmissible to have impact in close contact settings. UKHSA scientists are investigating this and will publish further analysis in future technical briefings. This variant has been detected in a number of countries globally. Dr Renu Bindra, Incident Director, UKHSA said: While BA.2.86 has a significant number of mutations to the viral genome compared to other currently circulating COVID-19 variants, the data so far is too limited to draw firm conclusions about the impact this will have on the transmissibility, severity or immune escape properties of the virus. UKHSA scientists are working with international partners to culture the samples and analyse the evidence as it becomes available. However, it is likely to be some time before we have enough data to make a confident assessment. Specialists from UKHSA have been working with Norfolk County Council to offer infection control advice and support following a confirmed outbreak of BA.2.86 in a care home. It is clear that there is some degree of widespread community transmission, both in the UK and globally, and we are working to ascertain the full extent of this. In the meantime, it remains vital that all those eligible come forward to receive their autumn vaccine as soon as it is offered to them. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) announced last week that the autumn vaccine programme will be brought forward to 11 September as a precautionary measure following the emergence of BA.2.86.
Friday 1 September 2023
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published a situational assessment for SARS-CoV-2 variant V-23AUG-01 (BA.2.86).
Nov 30, 2021 · New measures to respond to emergence of Omicron variant come into force at 4am. Face coverings compulsory in shops and on public transport. All international arrivals to take a Day 2 PCR test and...
Dec 18, 2021 · A major incident has been declared in London and more than 10,000 new Omicron cases have been confirmed in the UK, as the variant surges across the country. A further 90,418 daily Covid cases...
Dec 24, 2021 · Restrictions are tightening in parts of the UK and other European countries in order to tackle the new variant. There's a constant stream of new information - some worrying, some positive.
1 day ago · The Government has said that data suggests Omicron has a very high growth rate and is now spreading rapidly. As of 22 December, UKHSA reported that there had been a total of 74,089 confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in the UK.
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Nov 27, 2021 · Face coverings will become mandatory again in shops and on public transport in England from next week as part of measures to target the new coronavirus variant, Omicron, the PM has said.
