Letters: Don’t mask the variant problem
[RE: Javid calms new variant fears as government announces NHS vaccine U-turn, Feb 1]
The new variant is rightly being treated with great caution by the WHO. There is evidence that the sub variant could be more infectious than the earlier strain of Omicron, but it does not appear to lead to more hospitalisations.
The recent prominence of Omicron means it is unlikely people will be affected by both variants as the immunity to the first over this short time will be protective.
But the speed of its emergence is a worrying portent.
Britain needs to adopt a similarly cautious approach to prevent further restrictions. We must be able to react quickly to the possibility of a more dangerous or vaccine evading variant emerging.
It was the testing and sequencing capability in the UK that enabled the government to move fast in November with a supercharged booster campaign.
The country’s testing regime has played a vital role in protecting us, and something we have experienced first-hand at Cignpost Diagnostics through allowing the entertainment and elite sports industries to continue operating over the last 24 months.
I believe it is right to retain some measures to enable us to act speedily against new variants, including sensible use of mask wearing and targeted PCR testing to enable us to sequence new variants.
Professor Denis Kinane