The British strain of the coronavirus was detected in almost every second infected in Ireland. This was announced by the Prime Minister of the country Mihol Martin, quoted by Reuters.
The British strain of coronavirus was found in almost half of the infected Irish people. Thus, the new mutation accounts for 45 percent of infections among those who have passed additional testing. Doctors compared such indicators with the 25 percent found in those tested before January 3.
According to Martin, the mutation is already actively spreading in Ireland. Over the past 14 days, the number of people infected with the coronavirus has increased 10 times due to the spread of the British strain. The prime minister admitted that another reason for the increase in the incidence could be the opening of shops and restaurants before Christmas.
The new coronavirus mutation was first discovered in the UK in September 2020, but it began to spread actively in December. The changes affected the area of the spike protein on the surface of the coronavirus, which is responsible for attachment to cells located in the mucous membrane of the lungs and a number of other organs.
