The Brazilian coronavirus variant now in the UK can spread more easily and might overcome immunity from past infection, a study showed on Tuesday.
Research on the P1 variant in the Brazilian city of Manaus, where it was first identified, found it to be twice as transmissible as the original virus.
Results showed the chance of Covid-19 reinfection with the strain was between 25 and 60 per cent.
But experts warned the data could not predict what might happen in the UK after six cases of the strain were discovered last month.
The search continued for one of those cases after the patient failed to fill out their contact details on their Covid-19 test documents.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Tuesday that the search had narrowed to 379 households in the south-east of England.
“We’re contacting each one,” Mr Hancock said.
He said there was “no information” to suggest further cases of the Brazilian variant in the UK.
One of the lead researchers on the Manaus study said it was unlikely the strain would spread quickly in Britain given the containment measures in place.
"You need many introductions of a virus to start an epidemic,” said Prof Ester Sabin from the University of Sao Paulo.
"Six is very few. I would say if you take care and do contact tracing, this is going to decrease."
What did the study find?
Blood test samples indicated more than 67 per cent of Manaus’s population had Covid-19 by October 2020.
Scientists were surprised when the city suffered a major surge in cases at the start of this year despite most of the population having been previously infected.
They believe the new variant emerged in November and quickly became the dominant strain, accounting for 87 per cent of all cases in Manaus in eight weeks.
The variant was found to be up to 2.2 times more transmissible than other coronavirus strains in the city.
Dr Nuno Faria from Imperial College London said there was no evidence to suggest vaccines would be ineffective against the Brazilian strain.
“We know that vaccines are effective and they can protect us from infection, disease and death,” Dr Faria said. “This is a period to be optimistic about the future.
"The more we know about the virus, the better we’re able to protect against it.
"And I think there’s no concluding evidence to suggest at this point that the current vaccines won’t work against P1.”
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
The biog
Job: Fitness entrepreneur, body-builder and trainer
Favourite superhero: Batman
Favourite quote: We must become the change we want to see, by Mahatma Gandhi.
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
BOSH!'s pantry essentials
Nutritional yeast
This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.
Seeds
"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."
Umami flavours
"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".
Onions and garlic
"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."
Your grain of choice
Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 (Turf) 1,200m
Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Sawt Assalam, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Foah, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel.
6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Faiza, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: RB Dixie Honor, Antonio Fresu, Helal Al Alawi.
7.30pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh 100,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: Boerhan, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
