Sixteen cases of a new Covid-19 variant have been found in the UK, Public Health England has confirmed.
The cases were identified after being first detected on February 15 through genomic horizon scanning. It is understood that the new variant had originated in the UK.
The new variant has been added to the watch list as Public Health England has designated it as a Variant Under Investigation (VUI), although it is not a variant they are immediately concerned about.
All 16 people who have tested positive for the new variant, along with their contacts, have been traced and advised to self-isolate.
The new variant contains the E484K mutation which has been found in two other variants in the UK.
However, the N501Y mutation, which is present in all variants of concern, has not been found in the new strain.
The addition of this variant as a VUI means there are now a total of four VUIs and four VOCs currently being tracked in the UK.
