By NewsDesk  @bactiman63

Health officials in England are reporting a new variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) has been identified across the South East of England.

Image/Robert Herriman

The variant has been named ‘VUI – 202012/01’ (the first Variant Under Investigation in December 2020) following an increase in cases seen in Kent and London.

As of 13 December, 1,108 cases with this variant have been identified, predominantly in the South and East of England.

There is currently no evidence to suggest that the strain has any impact on disease severity, antibody response or vaccine efficacy.

Public Health England (PHE) will monitor the impact of this in the coming days and weeks.

It is not uncommon for viruses to undergo mutations; seasonal influenza mutates every year. Variants of SARS-CoV-2 have been observed in other countries, such as Spain.

This variant includes a mutation in the ‘spike’ protein. Changes in this part of the spike protein may result in the virus becoming more infectious and spreading more easily between people.