A highly infectious strain of coronavirus first detected in England last September has now spread to more than 80 countries. Al Jazeera reports that there are fears that it will spread across the globe.

Believed to be up to 70 percent more infectious, and about 30 percent more lethal than other mutations of the novel coronavirus, the B.1.1.7 variant is defined by 23 mutations from the original strain of SARS-CoV2.

According to Al Jazeera, first recorded in Kent, the variant quickly became the dominant strain in the United Kingdom. B.1.1.7 accounts for about 90 percent of all new COVID-19 infections in the UK. It’s rapid spread resulted in a surge in cases and deaths, compelling a new national lockdown in early January.

It’s unknown if the variant originated in Kent or was first detected there. The World Health Organization reports that 83 countries have reported cases of the B.1.1.7 strain.

Meanwhile, a major concern is whether the vaccines currently in use will be effective against new and separate versions of the coronavirus in the UK, South Africa and Brazil. The UK, however, is confident the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNtech vaccines are effective against B.1.1.7 as well other variants. Nevertheless, Sharon Peacock, director of the COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium says a further mutation in the B.1.1.7 strain recently detected in the town of Bristol, could undermine the vaccines currently in use 21 cases of the Bristol variant have thus far been recorded.

Umm Muhammed Umar