New UK variant of Covid may be more deadly: Boris Johnson

NEW DELHI: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that the new variant of Covid-19 that was detected in the UK may be deadlier than previously thought. In a report, the BBC quoted Boris Johnson as saying that there is "early evidence" to suggest that the new mutated variant may be more deadly.

He however reportedly added that there is still huge uncertainty around numbers.

"In addition to spreading more quickly, it also now appears that there is some evidence that the new variant - the variant that was first identified in London and the south east - may be associated with a higher degree of mortality. It's largely the impact of this new variant that means the NHS is under such intense pressure," Boris Johnson was quoted as saying by BBC at a press briefing.

As per the report, the evidence that the British PM was referring to has been asses by scientists on the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG). This group, the BBC said, has briefed the UK government about its assessment.

However, the UK government's chief scientific advisor Sir Patrick Vallance termed the data collected so far as "not yet strong".

Experts have in the past said that the new variant of the virus causing Covid-19 that was first detected in the UK spreads much faster than other variants. However, this UK variant is so far believed to be less deadly and people infected with it have a lesser risk of being hospitalised.