Covid: UK infections at highest level for weeks amid Nepal mutation fears

Delta+K417N mutant detected in various countries including UK, genome expert warns

Some 5,274 more cases of coronavirus were recorded in the UK on Thursday, the highest single-day figure since 26 March, amid fears a third wave could hit Britain and reports of a Nepal mutation of the Indian variant.

A further 18 people also died within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus, government data showed, taking the UK death toll to 127,812.

It comes as Public Health England (PHE) announced that cases of the Indian, or Delta, variant had risen by 79 per cent across the UK in the past week.

Some 12,431 infections of the strain were confirmed in the UK up to 2 June, PHE said on Thursday, up from last week’s total of 6,959. It means the variant is now the nation’s most dominant, overtaking the Kent strain.

It comes as experts confirm the presence of a mutant, potentially more vaccine-resistant, version of the Delta variant in Britain.

Dr Jeff Barrett, director of the Covid-19 Genomics Initiative at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, has said the K417N spike protein mutation in the Delta variant – which is thought to have arisen in Nepal – has been identified in numerous countries including the UK.

“This Delta+K417N has been seen in numerous countries, including the UK, Portugal, the USA, and India,” he said, adding: “It has also been observed once in Nepal, which does very little sequencing, and 14 times in Japan, of which 13 are samples from airport quarantine from travellers from Nepal.”

PHE is said to be investigating the new spike mutation, while transport secretary Grant Shapps admitted in an interview earlier there was some concern about a “Nepal mutation of the so-called Indian variant” after the government announced Portugal would be taken off England’s green travel list and added to the amber one.

The decision was made by the government after an “almost doubling” in the country’s coronavirus test positivity rate and the discovery of 68 cases of the Indian variant including some with the K417N mutation.

“We just don’t know the potential for that to be a vaccine-defeating mutation,” Mr Shapps said, “and simply don’t want to take the risk as we come up to 21 June and the review of the fourth stage of the unlock.”

The K417N mutation has previously been seen in the South African-origin variant of Covid-19, which is thought to have been more resistant to vaccines.

Various scientists have since raised concerns about a possible third wave in the UK, which could hamper England’s roadmap out of lockdown, due to reach its final phase on 21 June.

Susan Michie, a professor of health psychology at UCL and member of both the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said on Thursday that despite its vaccine programme, the UK remains at risk from another wave of infections.

Asked why people should be concerned about this, she told a Royal Society of Medicine webinar: “Two reasons. One is the higher transmission, the more mutations and therefore the higher the likelihood of a variant that could undermine vaccination. And secondly the issue of long Covid, which is very debilitating.”

She continued: “So it’s not just a question of hospitalisation and death, but it’s many, many months of people living in a miserable situation and that’s a hit for the economy too.”

Another professor, Ravi Gupta, from the University of Cambridge, said earlier this week the Indian variant had fuelled “exponential growth”, and warned ending Covid restrictions in England later this month should be postponed.

PHE noted in its findings today that most people confirmed to be infected with Delta were unvaccinated, despite being eligible. Figures show that from 1 February to 31 May, there were 9,427 cases of the Indian variant recorded in England, of which 5,172 were in unvaccinated people.

Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, today pleaded with Britons able to get their vaccine to do so immediately. “The way to tackle variants is to tackle the transmission of Covid-19 as a whole. Work from home where you can, and practice ‘hands, face, space, fresh air’ at all times,” she said.

“If you are eligible and have not already done so, please come forward to be vaccinated and make sure you get your second jab. It will save lives.”

Half of UK adults have now had both doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, government data shows, which includes the prime minister. Boris Johnson received his second dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab at the Francis Crick Institute in London on Thursday evening.