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    How Worried Should We Be About The New U.K. Coronavirus Variant?

    Mathematical modeling suggests that the mutations in this variant make the virus more transmissible. What does that mean for preventive measures — and the new vaccines?
    by Michaeleen Doucleff Dec 24, 2020 3 minutes
    The image depicts the coronavirus binding to a human cell. The variant identified in the United Kingdom has a mutation known to increase how tightly the virus binds to human cells.

    A new variant of the coronavirus is sweeping through England. At the same time, the country is reporting a record-high number of COVID-19 cases – nearly 40,000 on Wednesday — as well as surges in hospitalizations and deaths. In London last week, an estimated 2% of people in private households tested positive for the coronavirus, The Independent reported.

    So the big question is: Are these events connected? Is the new variant causing this surge?

    Now British scientists are starting to answer that

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