New Coronavirus Strain Might Have a Higher Mortality Rate: UK PM Boris Johnson

In a press conference with Professor Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance, British
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that early evidence suggests that the UK variant of COVID-19 “may be associated with a higher degree of mortality.” Johnson also clarified that the vaccines being used in the UK “remain effective both against the old variant and this new variant.”

“We’ve been informed today that in addition to spreading more quickly, it also now appears that there is some evidence that the new variant – the variant that was first discovered in London and the southeast (of England) – may be associated with a higher degree of mortality,” he said in a press conference.

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However, PM Boris Johnson has mentioned that both the vaccines are effective against the new variant of the coronavirus.

"I want to stress that there's a lot of uncertainty around these numbers and we need more work to get a precise handle on it, but it obviously is a concern that this has an increase in mortality as well as an increase in transmissibility,” said Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific advisor.