Everything we know so far about the new Covid strain - and if the vaccine will be affected

A new strain of Covid-19 has been identified in the UK.

The fast spread of the variant has led to the introduction of tighter coronavirus restrictions across the four nations, and many countries across the world enforcing travel bans from the UK.

It has also been linked with the exponential rise in coronavirus cases in the south-east of England, with experts saying the new variant is more transmissible than others.

Here’s everything you need to know about the new strain - and whether you should be worried about it.

What is the new strain?

Matt Hancock told MPs on Monday 14 December that a new variant of Covid-19 had been identified, and that it was spreading in some areas of the country.

The new strain was first detected in September, and in November around a quarter of coronavirus cases in London were the variant. Now, it accounts for nearly two-thirds of cases in the city.

The World Health Organisation was notified about the virus change, Mr Hancock said, and scientists had commenced analysis on it.

Where did the variant come from?

It was first detected back in October, by the Covid-19 Genomics UK Consortium (Cog-UK).

The new strain was found in two samples, collected from Kent in London, on September 20 and 21.

Virologists suspect that the multiple mutations happened in a patient with a severely suppressed immune system, who may have had the virus for weeks and then infected someone else.

Is it more transmissible?

The new sprain has spread quickly in London and south-east England, becoming the dominant variant.

It was responsible for 62 percent of infections in London during the week ending 9 December, and it’s now present in Scotland, Wales and throughout England.

As it has spread quickly, scientists believe it could be more transmissible - either that or people were ignoring Covid restrictions and allowing it to spread.

Computer modelling has suggested that the new strain could be 70 percent more transmissible than other variants.

That was the figure Boris Johnson referred to when speaking about the new strain - and he said that could increase the R number - the infection rate - by at least 0.4.

However, Professor Neil Ferguson said there was “strong evidence” that the new variant is 50 percent more transmissible than the previous virus.

Can it infect children more easily?

The new variant could infect children more easily, said Professor Neil Ferguson, a member of the government’s New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats advisory group (NervTag).

He said there is a “hint” that the virus has a “higher propensity” to infect children, according to the latest data.

Prof Ferguson explained: “What we've seen over the course of a five or six-week period is consistently the proportion of pillar two cases for the variant in under-15s was statistically significantly higher than the non-variant virus."

However, he warned that more data would be needed before a conclusion could be made.

Can a test detect the new strain?

Standard Covid-19 swab tests - which are now widely used at testing centres across the UK - will be able to detect the new virus variant, England's Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty, said.

However, it is too soon to know exactly what the new strain will do to the behaviour of the virus.

Can it cause more serious symptoms?

There is currently no evidence to suggest that the new strain of coronavirus can cause more serious or different symptoms to other variants.