Covid-19: Countries ban travel to UK to prevent the spread of new variant

Many European countries such as Netherlands and Belgium have decided to suspend flights and impose a ban on travel to the UK as the country has reported a new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Some of them are also considering imposing a travel ban to South Africa which has also reported a new mutated version of the existing one.

Scientists say that the mutation of the virus is not new. All viruses mutate but what is a cause for concern is whether the mutated version is more infectious and deadlier than the existing one.

Mutated versions are not always more infectious and deadlier than the existing one.

As of now, the scientists have not been able to conclusively establish anything about the new variant, however, it has been found in those areas where infections are quite high.

This gives the impression that the new variant is far more infectious than the current one. Reports say that for the first time this mutated version was reported in south-east England but now this has travelled to London too.

Many patients who have carried this infection were found in London. Primary observations suggest that the new variant is several times more infectious.

It is also not known whether the vaccines will be able to provide protection from the mutated version.

According to reports, the Indian government is also contemplating some emergency plan to prevent the entry of this new mutated version in India.

The government has constituted a joint monitoring group to take stock of the situation and deliberate upon the steps to be taken to minimise the risk.