new Covid mutation has found its way to the UK with 55 cases identified in England so far.
The new strain, called Mu, was first detected in South America and has been labelled a variant of interest by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Mu, or B.1.621, was first identified in Colombia and cases have been recorded in South America and various European countries.
The WHO said the variant has mutations suggesting it could be more resistant to vaccines but that more studies would be needed to examine this further.
Meanwhile, a new study by King’s College London has found that having two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine almost halves the likelihood of long Covid.
Researchers said that being admitted to hospital with the virus was 73 per cent less likely, and the chances of severe symptoms were reduced by almost a third (31 per cent) in the fully vaccinated.
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Covid cases delays Top Gun release
Tom Cruise’s new films Top Gun: Maverick and Mission: Impossible 7 have been delayed amid a spike in Covid-19 cases in the US.
Paramount said the Top Gun sequel will now arrive in May next year instead of November 2021.
Mission: Impossible 7 has been moved from its May 2022 planned opening to the following September.
The studio also pushed back the release of comedy Jackass Forever from October to February.
The moves come as the US experiences another wave of Covid-19 driven by increasing cases of the more transmissible Delta variant.
It has left studios fearing the virus’ re-emergence will keep customers away from cinemas.
SAGE members targeted by anti-vax groups
Scientists advising the Government during the coronavirus pandemic have been sent suspicious packages from people who feel they are “making bad decisions”, one expert has revealed.
Professor Calum Semple, who sits on the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said he had been on the receiving end of a “particularly nasty” experience.
Professor Roger Kirby asked: “You’ve been targeted by the anti-vax group, haven’t you?
“Didn’t somebody post something along the lines that ‘Calum kills wildlife for fun and lives in Birkenhead?’”
Prof Semple said that was correct and added: “We are fortunate that the police are open to hearing from us and there’s good liaison support for us when these threats are made. That was one particularly nasty event.
“There have been others since then and suspicious packages sent to Sage members and myself.
“This comes from both extremes – people that feel that we’re making bad decisions and they don’t appreciate that Sage is not a decision-making body.”
Four in five travellers from amber locations stuck to quarantine rules – survey
Four out of five arrivals from amber list locations adhered to coronavirus quarantine requirements in July, research suggests.
Some 83% of respondents to an Office for National Statistics (ONS) survey of 848 adults arriving in England from an amber country or territory between July 12 and 17 said they self-isolated.
They were required to quarantine for 10 days unless they were exempt due to their job, or they took part in the Test to Release scheme.
Nine out of 10 respondents said they took both of the required day-two and day-eight coronavirus tests.
Expect case surge says Professor Lockdown
A “significant surge” in cases is expected in the UK but it is too early to say whether that might mean the relaxation of restrictions needs to be rolled back, a leading expert has said.
Professor Neil Ferguson, whose modelling was instrumental to the UK going into lockdown in March 2020, said if daily cases start going above 100,000 to 150,000 there will be “significant demands on the health system”.
He said: “We expect to see quite a significant surge in cases, to some extent in hospitalisations, but whether that’s going to require any rolling back of the relaxation of restrictions is too early to say. It really depends on the level of healthcare demand.”
He said if an unvaccinated population of 5 or 10% all got Covid in a short period of time it would result in a “large healthcare burden, and a large number of deaths” and that it could also “have a risk of significantly overwhelming health systems even in high income countries such as the UK”.
Suicide rate actually fell during first lockdown
The suicide rate in England and Wales fell during the first national coronavirus lockdown, analysis of death registrations suggests.
Some 1,603 suicides occurred between April and July 2020, around three-quarters of which were of males, according to analysis of provisional data by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
This is down 18% from the same period in 2019 and 12.7% below the average for the previous five years.
It equates to a mortality rate of 9.2 deaths per 100,000 people – significantly lower than rates for the same period in the previous three years, but similar to the 2016 rate.
Nearly 1million suffering long Covid – ONS
Nearly one million people in the UK have reported having long Covid symptoms, data released today reveals.
According to the Office for National Statistics, 970,000 say they have experienced the effects of the virus for at least four weeks.
An estimated 38,000 children in the UK aged from two to 16 had self-reported long Covid in the four weeks to August 1, the ONS said.
This is up from 34,000 in the four weeks to July 4.
Fatigue affects over half of Long Covid sufferers
Long Covid was estimated to be adversely affecting the day-to-day activities of 643,000 people – around two-thirds of those with self-reported long Covid – with 188,000 reporting that their ability to undertake day-to-day activities had been “limited a lot”, the ONS said.
Fatigue was the most common symptom (experienced by 58% of those with self-reported long Covid), followed by shortness of breath (42%), muscle ache (32%) and difficulty concentrating (31%).
Former Health Secretary pictured in Alps with aide lover
Matt Hancock has been pictured enjoying a budget holiday with the aide he was caught kissing during lockdown.
Photographs obtained by the Daily Express show the ex-Cabinet minister and Gina Coladangelo in the Swiss Alps.
The newspaper reported the couple are staying at a two-star lodge where rooms cost as little as £87-a-night.
Mr Hancock, 42, is running the London Marathon on Oct 3 and it is thought he is using the trip for some last-minute high-altitude training, according to the Express.
Expert says just one dose of vaccine needed for children
Professor Calum Semple said he would opt for one dose of vaccine only for 12 to 15-year-olds, if it was up to him.
The professor of child health and outbreak medicine at the University of Liverpool said he is “glad” he is not on the JCVI as “they are having a tough time of it”.
He told BBC Breakfast: “I would probably go for a single dose of the vaccine for 12 to 15-year-olds, as a one-off – in order to help public health generally, break transmission chains in society. The rare side effect of myocarditis appears to be associated more with the second dose than the first dose.
“So I would probably go down the path of giving one dose only, as a one-off, and then waiting until children are much older before we go for the double jab.”
Give Covid vaccine to children, says Gavin Williamson
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson stressed that as a parent he would like to be able to choose whether his children get the innoculation.
He said the NHS was ready to send health staff into schools to deliver the jabs.
However, asked if the JCVI should get a “wiggle on” about decisions on booster and jabs for children, Mr Williamson told Sky News: “Speaking as a parent myself, I think parents would find it incredibly reassuring to know that they had a choice as to whether their child would be vaccinated or not.”
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