Great to know we do something better than south america and south africa

[copper123]

Early evidence suggests the variant of coronavirus that emerged in the UK may be more deadly, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.

However, there is still huge uncertainty around the numbers - and vaccines are expected to work.

The data come from mathematicians comparing death rates in people infected with either the new or the old versions of the virus.

The new more infectious variant has already spread widely across the UK.

Mr Johnson told a Downing Street briefing: "In addition to spreading more quickly, it also now appears that there is some evidence that the new variant - the variant that was first identified in London and the south east - may be associated with a higher degree of mortality.

[1949threepence]

Not too dramatic though. Whitty said that the new Kent variant had possibly a +0.3 to +0.4 greater mortality in older age groups, such that instead of 10 in every thousand succumbing, it might be more like 13 or 14. So a 1.35% mortality rate rather than 1.0%. 

I say older age groups as opposed to the over 65's, as that implies some strange magical dividing line at midnight on the 65th birthday, which is ludicrous as everybody ages at different rates.