Covid new strain warning: Increased infection risk with trips to Tesco, Sainsbury's & Asda
COVID new strain warning: With most of the UK in lockdown, outside interaction is at a bare minimum. For many, the only times they are permitted to leave the house is to go grocery shopping which could increase their risk of an infection, warns a doctor from a London hospital.
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A new and far more transmissible coronavirus strain has been spreading worldwide. The variant jumps from person to person more easily with leading health experts warning of people’s chances of getting an infection becoming much higher. Now a doctor has warned many may be putting themselves at risk by simply grocery shopping.
A doctor has warned that even simple trips to Tesco, Asda or Sainsbury’s could increase a person’s risk of catching the new COVID-19 strain.
Scientists and studies have found the main cause in the surge of cases is down to people not social distancing however it now seems that even grocery shopping could also be a factor.
The medic, who didn’t want to be named, spoke to My London and said: “I think it is a combination of the two.
“The worrying surge in cases is down to the new, more infectious variant as well as people not social distancing.
"I think that the new variant played a role, but to a degree London going into Tier 2 at the start of December, when people went to restaurants and pubs, hasn't helped.
"It's not even the restaurants and pubs, because I know people say they are socially distanced, but I think it's the overall message that you're in Tier 2, and we're opening places to eat and drink, and people then feel they maybe don't have to social distance so much, or maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing to congregate indoors."
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Most are aware that viruses have the ability to mutate.
Most mutations are useless however every so often a mutation will improve a virus’s ability to infect people.
Given the swift spread of this new variant, experts suggest the new strains contain mutations which make it easier for the virus to bind to cells.
Currently there is no evidence the variants will affect the efficacy of the vaccines or cause a more severe illness.
However, more studies are needed to understand the mutations and the impact they could have on the current pandemic gripping the world.
